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(f i£Z Z c, c seR IPTURE / a 

BIOGRAPHY, 



OR, 



THE LIVES AND CHARACTERS 



PRINCIPAL PERSONAGES, 



RECORDED IN 



THE SACRED WRITINGS, 



PRACTICALLY ADAPTED 



TO THE INSTRUCTION OF PRIVATE FAMILIES. 



BY JOHN W ATKINS, L. L. D. 

Author of the Universal Biographical and Historical Dictionary, &c. &c. 

Wherefore seeing- we are compassed about with so great a cloud of wit- 
nesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth most 
easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before 

US LOOKING UNTO JESUS. St. PAUL. 



NEW-YORK: 
Printed and Published by Simpson Cf Lindsay. 

1810. 












\ 



T M^ACE. 



1U 



BIOGRAPHY possesses many important advantages 
over general history.* The principal perhaps of these 
is tne tendency which it has to improve the heart by pour- 
tray ing Virtue and Vice as they actually appear in the con- 
duct ot individuals. 

When we contemplate the variegated scenes of public life, 
as exhibited on the theatre of the world, our minds may be 
filled with admiration, but they will often be perplexed -nth 
difficulties and deceived by false appearances. The causes 
of the most important events are frequently buried in the 
depths of oblivion, or so confounded in :he mazes of party 
prejudice and political intrigue as not easily to be explored. 
Should we, indeed, after much inquiry and attention obtain 
a very comprehensive Knowiege of what his been transact" 
ed in the world, since its origin, the acquisition, though un- 
doubtedlv very valuable, would not be of much practical 
utility in correcting our passions, regulating our conduct, 
strengthening our laiih, animating o\jk hopes or cheering us 
in this checquereoVsceiie of vanity and trouble. 

But when we are steadily engaged 10. considering one 
character, and have before us an exact and regular view of 
him in every age and circumstance of life, from infancy to 
manhood, and in all the various relations which, in the so- 
cial state, he is call' d to fill ; abundant matter is presented to us, 
which, if duly improved, will make us both wiser and better 
than we were before. We behold in men of like passions 
and placed in similar situations with ourselves, the advanta- 
ges which are the result of early piety, of virtuous resolu- 
tion, of lowliness of mind, and of religions integrity. 
We may thus see the u beauty of holiness" as it were em- 
bodied, and exhibiting its graces in a variety of forms and 
under numerous circumstances, which in the bustle of pub- 
lic life would pass by lost and unheeded. The religious 
character is contemplated to advantage in prosperity and ad- 
versity, bearing the one with a bumble and thankful heart, 
and the other with calmness and resignation. But religion 
is, probably, seen in its greatest lustre during the dark and 
dismal hour of death. In that solemn season when the busy 
scenes of folly are shut out, when the noise and contentions 
of the world are no longer heard, when splendid rank and 
honours are disregarded, when pomp, and riches, and plea- 
sures bear the glaring and mortifying inscription of vani ty 
and vexation — then does Religion Iook through tl 



PR 



JCa' ~.-OJU 



and as she smiles upon the dying Christian, kindles in tne 
bosom even of the vain and irreligious beholder, a wish to 
die the death of the righteous and to have his latter end like 
his. 

In this grand point it is that the excellency of Biography is 
strikingly displayed, by introducing us not only to the ac- 
quaintance of the wise and good in their meditations, and in 
their labours of piety and love, but also to their dying beds, 
where we behold the triumph of faith over the fears of death, 
and see them breathing their souls with joyful hope into the 
hands of their heavenly Father. 

In the consideration of such scenes, and not in behold- 
ing the bustling events of the world, we learn the true 
estimate of human life, and the proper end of our be- 

This naturally directs us to one of the most distinguished 
excellencies of the Holy Scriptures, as abounding with nu- 
merous examples of faith and holiness, delineated with the 
strictest impartiality, all of them powerfully calculated to 
r.waken in us a concern about the best things, and to lead us 
sn the path of righteousness. In a moral sense alone the 
Scripture Characters are the most proper that can be present- 
ed for our imitation, because they are represented as they 
truly were, without any design of extenuating their errors 
or exaggerating their virtues. No art is made use of to ex- 
hibit them to us to the best advantage, but they are shewn in 
their native simplicity, in a great variety of natural situ- 
ations, and exactly " as men of like passions with our- 
selves." 

But there is a higher point of view in which the biographi- 
cal narrations of the Bible excel all others ; and this in- 
deed must be of the utmost importance, I mean the in- 
struction which we learn from them in the things which con- 
cern our everlasting salvation. Morality may be serviceable 
to us in our connexions with one another as members of the 
same society ; but it can neither open nor maintain a commu- 
nication with Heaven. 

That Revelation which God has given to us in his. holy 
Word alone does this, and while we learn from it die iaith 
which is necessary to salvation, we are presented with nu- 
merous instances of persons who have lived and died in the 
enjoyment of it. By considering their examples then we not 



PREFACE. V 

<anlv see the beauty of virtue, and are charmed with the ex- 
cellencies of a humble, contented, tender ate, and pious 
life, but we gather from them information concerning the 
" things of the kingdon ot God." 

We see what animated th< m in their progress through a 
troublesome world, what enabled them to resist temptation, 
to overcome difficulties, to brave persecutions, and to encoun- 
ter even the terrors of death without dismay ; not the ener- 
gies of their own minds, not a philosophical indifference to 
pain and pleasure, but a comfort able belief of the " great 
mystery of godliness" which the Messiah undertook to ac- 
complish for the salvation of a lost world. In the lives of 
these Worthies we see the great truths of our Religion elu- 
cidated, not merely in the morality of their actions, but in 
the purity of their principles. We see them witnessing a 
good confession in the darkest times, bearing their testimo- 
ny to the work of redemption, living by faith upon the Son 
of God, and dying in the triumphant assurance of his salva- 
tion. 

He is the centre of the system round which all the lumi- 
naries of the church have moved both before his inc irnation 
and since his ascension, deriving their light solely from him, 
and kept in their course by the influence of his grace. 

This important doctrine runs through the following pages, 
and I trust that my readers will not be displeased with me 
for endeavouring throughout the work to keep their attention 
constantly alive to this grand object. But though an evan- 
gelical turn has been given to every incident where it could 
naturally be admitted ; yet I am not so fond of allegory as to 
admire the fancy of spirtualizing all objects, institutions and 
circumstances mentioned in the Bible— r- Where a type was 
obvious, and the relation between natural and spiritual ob- 
jects was evident, I have readily given myself a scope in 
the elucidation, and have tried to make my reader feel the 
san-e degree of pleasure with myself. 

Yet i have studiously avoided all appearance of mysti- 
cism, and that obscure mode of expression which tends to ex- 
cite curiosity without gratifying it, and which renders plain 
truths confused and perplexing, instead of being familiar and 
edit) ing. 

Some perhaps may object, that I have not been sufficiently 
CQpious in the Life of our olessed Lord and Saviour, and that 
1 have totally omitted all his disciples. To have gone more 



vi PREFACE. 

into detail on so great a subject as the history of Jesus, would 
have far exceeded the limits to which i was confined. My 
principal design was to shew that all the Worthies of the Old 
Testament witnessed of him, and to give in the biogra- 
phical form an interesting sketch or Redemption, from the 
fall of Adam to the ascension of Christ. With the latter 
event my design was completed. 

In delineating the Scripture characters I had young per- 
sons chiefly in my view, and have therefore endeavoured to 
render the whole pleasing and instructive to them. The 
seeds of piety cannot be sown too early, and nothing will so 
much recommend religion as an agreeable form. History and 
Biography are very attractive to young minds, and if we can 
recommend the essential principles of rtligion by means of 
this species of composition, an important service will be ren- 
dered to the rising generation. 

This method is also well calculated for family instruction 
on Sunday evenings, as nothing will excite attention or pro- 
duce reflection so much as an entertaining and interesting 
narrative. Most of the articles in this volume are of such 
length as to be easily read through in one sitting ; a few only 
are considerably longer, and these may be divided into two or 
three portions, as shall appear most convenient. 

May He from " whom cometh every good and perfect 
gift," give his blessing to this work, the design of which is 
to promote the knowlege of his holy word, in this age of 
infidelity and licentiousness ! 

To Him, Father. Son, and Holy Ghost, three persons in 
one undivided essence, be all honour and glory. Amen ! 



CONTENTS. 



' Page- 

AJDAM - * - ' * 

CAIN AND ABEL 14 

ElvOCH - 23 

NOAH - - 29 

ABRAHAM ...------- 44 

ISAAC ' - - 7fc 

JACOB 84 

JOSEPH - 113 m. 

JOB - - l4 °fff 

MOSES __.)------- 158 

BALUM '--•- . 203 

JOSHUA 217 

HUTH -. 237 

SAMUEL 239 

DAVID - - - 251 

SOLOMON 284 

ELIJAH - - - 295 

ELISHA - 307 

DANIEL ...--.---- 320 

ESTHER ANDMORDECAI -330 

ST. JOHN THE BAPTIST 338 

JSSUS CHRIST 2 :::::-: ^ ^ 



^a 



i£y 



Scripture Biography. 

ADAM, /2, 

jr V 

Died in the Tear of the World 931 ; before Christ 3073. * 

IF it be pleasing to review the lives and actions of thosti^P 
persons from whom we derive our immediate descent, 
and who have done honour to their family name by their 
talents and their virtues, it must certainly be interesting to 
all of us, as the common descendants of Adam, to be ac- 
quainted with the particulars of his life. 

No history of the world pretends to give an account of 
the first parents of the human race but that of Moses ; al- 
though it is clearly evident, from the very nature of things, 
that however numerous the present inhabitants of the globe 
may be, there must have been a time when one pair alone 
existed thereon. The animal world as well as the inani- 
mate must necessarily have had a beginning. To talk of the 
eternity of matter is to give it qualities which we see it does 
not possess, and to suppose a never ending series of men is 
downright folly. All civilized nations agree in the fact 
that the world had a beginning, though their accounts of 
its creation differ in the extreme. The mythologists have 
given descriptions of the creation, and the philosophers have 
fabricated theories upon the subject, all of which only serve 
to perplex the enquiring mind, and to render it dissatisfied, 
because they are not supported by any thing like rational 
evidence. The account of this important event, which is 
recorded in the book of Genesis, possesses all the strong- 
marks of sober truth, and accords exactly w 7 ith the prin- 
ciples of sound philosophy. The language also employed to 
describe the process of the creation is admirably suited to 
the magnitude and gravity of the subject, and carries with 
it an insuperable evidence of divine authority. 

God, the self-existent and beneficent author of all things, 
is introduced as simply expressing his will; and behold 

A 



2 SCRIPTURE BIOGRAPHY. 

every part of nature takes its regular form and assumes ib' 
proper province. All things are here clone in perfect order 
and in an exact method, shewing us that evil only is dis- 
cordant and irregular, and that a good end must always be 
attained by consistent means. V The Omnipotent began with 
calling Light into existence, as indispensibly necessary to 
the stupendous and glorious scene which was about to take 
place. God himself is called u Light, and in him is no 
darkness at all."* Light is social, cheering, and lovely. 
Without it we could pursue no pleasing object, or enjoy any 
rational delight. And if our minds are not enlightened with 
a know lege of God, as he is revealed in the scriptures of 
..-, truth, all our works will be done in disorder, and all our 
pursuits will be evil. There can be no fitness, regularity, 
or utility in what we do, unless we walk by this light, and 
conform ourselves to its unerring directions. " Thy Word,"" 
says the psalmist, " is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto 
my paths."! Those persons who take this Word for their 
guide will walk uprightly in this evil world ; whereas they 
who follow any other rule, will be liable to numerous mis- 
takes, and will fall into many corruptions, because they do 
not know or do not abide by the truth of God. 

The want of conformity to this director was, as we shall 
soon see, the cause of all the evil and misery which have 
covered the earth from the beginning of the world to this 
day. In the following narratives we shall often have occa- 
sion to observe how 7 very happy it has been for men to adhere 
to this Word, and how wretched even many good men have 
made themselves by only occasionally deviating from it. 

The Word of God is that pure light which leads us to the. 
realms of immortal happiness and safety, steadiness, and 
honour ; whereas the way of man, when he trusts to his 
own imagination, is the path of error, danger, and shame. 

W^hen the adorable parent of all had fitted up this stupend- 
ous globe with every thing in it that was pleasant to the eye- 
and good for food, he formed man out of the dust of the 
ground to rule over and enjoy it. How gracious was this 
conduct of the Almighty in first creating every thing neces- 
sary for the convenience and comfort of man, and then 
leaving him nothing to do, but to enjoy and cultivate the 
gift, and to adore his benefactor ! 

Man was formed out of the dust of the ground, and was 

* John,!. 5.. t.Ps.CXIX, 105. 



ADAM. 

in consequence called Adam, which signifies red-earth, that 
from a sense of the lowness of his original he might always 
be humble. All human beauty is but modified clay, brittle 
and perishable. How little, then, have the sons and daugh- 
ters of men to be proud of, when it is considered that dust 
they are, and unto dust they must all return ! 

But though the materials out of which Adam was formed 
were in themselves exceedingly mean and contemptible, yet 
we are told u he was created in the image of God, and 
after his likeness _''* 

It would be a great error to suppose that this similitude 
•consisted in the external form or figure of man ', for God is 
a spirit, and Man is material. The eternal Being is without 
body, parts, or passions, and therefore it is impossible that 
he should be like any created object. This " likeness," 
then must necessarily have been of a spiritual nature. Adam 
had this distinction from all the other inhabitants of the 
globe, in possessing an immortal rational spirit, which war- 
infused into him by the immediate operation of his Creator. 
While he continued in obedience and innocence, he was, as 
to the powers of his mind, and the disposition of his soul, in 
conformity to God, and possessed of a divine likeness. What 
a noble being then was Man, pure and exalted, righteous 
and god-like, living in obedience to the divine will, and in 
habits of close and immediate friendship with the great Je- 
hovah ! 

Though the whole earth was beautiful and fertile, yet to 
manifest his goodness to man, and to evince his right over 
him, " God planted a garden eastward in Eden, and there 
he put man, whom he had formed that he should dress and 
keep it." Idleness was not allowed even in Paradise, filled 
as it was with all t things pleasant to the sight and good for 
food. Adam, though he could know no want, nor be ap- 
prehensive of any scarcity, had yet an employment assigned 
him, that he might keep his faculties in exercise, and ma- 
nage hi* time and opportunities to the best advantage. In- 
dustry and righteousness are constantly united, and no man 
can be said to love or serve God who does not endeavour to 
do good in his generation. Useful employment, conducted 
with a devout temper of mind, will alwavs produce plea- 
sure, even though it be laborious. While Adam continued 
in obedience, his occupation in the garden was not burtheis- 

Gen. !. QC\ . 



4 SCRIPTURE BIOGRAPHY. 

some but delightful. After he lost his innocence, the same 
employment was oppressive and grievous, because it was 
embittered by the sense of guilt. 

In order that he might avoid presumption, and always 
preserve a sense of duty in his mind, a restraint was kid ufaon 
him in one instance, and in one only. The whole range of 
creation was freely allowed him for his use and enjoyment, 
but one, comparatively trifling, object was excepted. bX And 
the Lord God commanded the man, saying, of every tree 
of the garden thou may est freely eat : but of the tree of the 
knowlege of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it for in the 
day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die."* 

it was certainly proper that Adam should have some test 
to prove his obedience, and to keep him mindful that he 
held his extensive and valuable domain only as a tenant.— 
He was, therefore, bound by a covenant not to violate one 
object, under no less a penalty than banishment from Para- 
dise, the loss of the divine li£e or favour, and the certainty 
of ..mifc-ring pain and death. But though he was thus re- 
stricted from touching the tree of knowlege, the fruit of 
another, peculiarly valuable, was expressly granted him : 
this was the tree of life, which grew in the midst of the 
garden, and the fruit of which appears to have possessed 
extraordinarv qualities, being probably of an immortalizing 
nature. The one was opposite to the other, the Almighty 
having placed before man death and liie, happiness and mi- 
sery, good and evil, for his free choice, without any com- 
pulsion oi his will. 

So oountHul was providence to Adam, and so slight was 
the condition upo-a which he held the lordship of the world 
and the possession of Paradise. But even this spot was not 
co nplccelv happy without suitable society. God, indeed, 
■was the friend of man, and held familiar intercourse with 
him. The blessed angels also frequently visited their young- 
er brother, with a view of instructing him in many import- 
ant subjects, and enlightening his mind with valuable know- 
lege. lint with all his innocence and wisdom, one object 
■was 'wanting to perfect his felicity. The several creatures 
around him. to whom he crave names according to their 
qualities, were properlv paired, butAdim, the lord of all 
^?as alone. Tne benevolent and all- wise Creator acknow- 

* Gen. ii. 16, IT. 



ADAM. 5 

Icged that this state Was not good for man. In solitude we 
mav enjoy God, bat it is in society ooly that we can properly 
serve him. The Almighty, attending to the exigency of 
the case, caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and as 
he slept, he took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh 
instead thereof. And the rib which the Lord God had 
taken from man made he a woman, and brought her unto 
the man. And Adam said, u This is now bone of my 
bone, and flesh of my flesh ; she shall be called woman, be- 
cause she was taken out of man."* 

Marriage is the first institution we read of, and it was 
then established by the Almighty that man shall have but one 
wife, and that the union shall be indissoluble, except by 
death : " For this cause shall a man leave his father and his 
mother, and shall cleave unto his wife, and they twain shall 
be one flesh." 

Adam has now a partner of his own kind, with whom 
he can freely converse upon -the beauties of nature and 
the bounty ofprovider.ee. He can communicate to her some 
of the knowlege with which God has endued him. He 
can explain to her many of those things which appear to her 
the most wonderful. He can describe the properties of 
plants and animals, and point out the uses which may be 
made of them. Above ail, Adam can elevate the mind of 
his Eve to the father of nature, and speak of his wonderful 
power, goodness, and condescension. He can worship with 
her, morning and evening, at the throne of grace, and offer 
up the sacrifices of thanksgiving to the God of love, from 
hearts unconscious of any evil. But it is his province also 
to instruct Eve in the duty which she owes to her Maker, 
and to point out to her the fatal tree in the midst of the gar- 
den, the fruit of which contains the unknown malady of 
death. He informs her of the strict prohibition which has 
been laid upon them in this instance, and doubtless he warns 
her with affectionate earnestness against meddling with the 
produce of the baneful tree. But his caution is unavailing. 
The happiness of our first parents was of very short dura- 
tion. The state* of innocence and joy lasted but a little 
while ; and that which has been emphatically called the gol- 
den age was confined, in all probability, within the narrow 
limit- of a few da vs. 

All was harmony, and beauty, and innocence throughout 

* Gen. ii. 23. 



m SCRIPTURE BIOGRAPHY. 

the creation while man retained his integrity. On his obe- 
dience depended the happiness of the whole world. He 
stood the representative of the human race, and, in some 
respects, that of all animated nature, and even of the globe 
itself. Death was to be the consequence of his transgres- 
sion, not only to himself and his posterity, but also to the 
whole animated world. 

Tiie manner in which this dreadful evil was first intro- 
duced deserves serious consideration. Various opinions 
and hypotheses have been formed on the subject of the ori- 
gin of moral and napj.ral eviU but what can be plainer than 
the accoum given of it in the bible ? Evil exists, and here 
we are informed how it originally happened, not by the or- 
der and direction of God, but through the fault of man. 

The sacred history relates, that the woman was deceived 
by the serpent to rt-\\ of the forbidden fruit, under a pre- 
tence that so far from producing any calamity to her, it 
would, in fact, elevate her to a degree of divinity. It seems 
evident that this interview took plac<mvhen Adam was at a 
distance from his wife ; and there can be no doubt but that 
the ^rpent was an instrument made use of by the devil, for 
•the purpose of deceiving the mother of mankind. That 
malignant spirit is called in the scripture the tk old serpent,' ; 
in allusion to the part which he assumed in this awful trans- 
action ; and he is moreover stiled the w father of lies/ 5 
because he accomplished his purpose by artful falsehoods 
and base misrepresentations* Having fallen from heaven by 
•his pride and ambition, he cannot bear to see any other crea- 
ture enjoying the- divine favour; and therefore he "deter- 
mines upon destroying the happiness of our first parents, by 
depriving them of their innocence. He cunningly avoids 
attacking directly the integrity of Adam, but begins with 
the "• weaker vessel," whose curiosity he inflames, by ad- 
dressing her in a human voice from the mouth of a serpent. 
Some have supposed, and upon probable grounds, that the 
tempter was infolded in the brandies of the tree itself, and 
that the sigut having attracted the notice of Eve, he thence 
had a good opportunity of conversing with her upon the 
subject. His question to her was well adapted to discover 
the strength and disposition of her mind : " Yea, hath God 
said, ye shall not eat of every tree in the garden ?"* Instead 
of being startled at this insinuating enquiry, cr of repairing 

. *.€er.. iii i: 



ADAM. T 

to her husband for direction. Eve enters at cnce into the 
Receiver's views, and gives him encouragement by the 
manner of her answer. u And the woman said unto the ser- 
pent : We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden ; 
but of the fruit of the tree which it in the midst of the gar- 
den, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye 
touch it, Lj st ye die." Here was a plain equivocation 
which expressed at once that doubt had begun to prepare 
her mind for infidelity. God had possitiv ly declared that 
death should be the consequence of disobedience, but she 
qualifies the threat as if it was a thing uncertain, lest ye die- 
The serpent, like a skilful manager, finding her mind so 
well prepared for his purpose, roundly avers, u Ye shall not. 
surely die." A declaration so impudent, in opposition to- 
that of God, ought to have alarmed the mindcf Eve ; but. 
an unlawlul desire, if not checked in the beginning, soon, 
destroys the sense of duty and the dread of punishments 
The serpent proceeds to excite her wish into action, by a 
declaration well suited to operate upon her ambitious mind, 
" For God~ doth know," saith he, u that in the day ye 
eat thereof then your eyes shall be opened ; and ye shall be 
as gods, knowing good and evil." This artful suggestion, 
prevailed, and the woman having involved herself in guilt, 
soon drew her husband into the same transgression. Then,. 
indeed, they found the words of the serpent true enough, 
in one sense, though not in that which he pretended, for. 
their eyes were opened to a sense of sharne, and having lost 
their innocence they imagined their nakedness w as a crime. 
They had also a " knowledge of good and evil," at least so 
far as to make them conscious of having contracted the one 
by not holding fast their integrity. They have now recourse 
to the broad leaves of the fig-tree for decent covering, a 
vain expedient to hide their guilt from the scrutinizing eye 
of that being vv ho discerns the first motions of the heart, 
and traces them through all their minute progress into action. 
The voice and presence of the Almighty, which were \ront 
to afford the greatest delight to Adam, now excite in him 
the most fearful apprehensions. He no longer courts an 
enterview with his maker, but dreads his approach, and, on 
hearing his voice in the garden, he hides himself in a 
thicket. But the criminals cannot escape the search of the 
omniscience. The God of love now appears in judgment, 
and in the most awful manner he enquires, M Adam, where 



SCRIPTURE BIOGRAPHY, 

Trembling and fearful he answers with simpli- 
city, wt 1 heard thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid be- 
cause I was naked, and I hid myself." This was a complete 

acknowledgement of his transgression, for why should he 
be afraid of the divine presence, if he had not violated 
the divine injunction ? The all-searching Judge replies, 

M Who told thee that thou wast naked ? Hast thou eaten 
of the tree whereof I commanded thee that thou shouldst 
not eat V In this trial, how condescending, tender and be- 
nevolent is the Almighty ? Instead of appearing in thun- 
der and lightning, he speaks to the culprits in the most gen- 
tle and exoostulatory manner, drawing from their own lips 
a full confession of their guilt* Adam, in a spirit of cow- 
ardice, throws the blame upon his wife, and even casts a 
reflection upon his creator for bestowing such a gift upon 
him. '* The woman that thou gavest to be with me, she 
gave me of the tree and I did eat," The woman that'i'tiGV 
gavest me. And why was she given to him ? Was ic not for 
his comfort and advantage ? Was it not that he should, by 
training her mind to a sense of religious duty, have in her a 
help-meet for him f His superior information and under- 
standing deprive him of all excuse, and, therefore, the mean- 
ness of his plea only serves to aggravate his offence. Eve 
in her confession simply tells the truth, " the serpent be- 
guiled me and I did eat." The enquiry being thus ended, 
judgment is passed, and it begins with the serpent, who is 

" cursed above all cattle, and above every beast of the 
field ;" a sentence which has taken place in the most literal 
manner, as there is no creature in the world more generally 
dreaded and detested. But the Almighty proceeds to pro- 
nounce a judgment upon the secret cause of, all this mischief 
in these words : u I will put enmity between thee and the 
woman, and between thy seed and her seed : it (or rather 
hjs) shall bruise thy head and thou shalt bruise his heel." 
In this declaration is conveyed, in obscure terms, the pro- 
mise of the Messiah, who, as the seed of the woman, should 
crush the head of the old serpent, or destroy his usurped 
dominion over the souls of men, and bring in eternal re- 
demption for them. 

And unto the woman God said, " I will greatly multiply 
thy sorrow and thv conception : in sorrow thou shalt bring 
forth children ; and thy desire shall be to thy husband, , 
and he shall rule over thee." This sentence w*s fulfilled 



.ADAM. 9 

not only with regard to Eve, but it has been transmitted to 
all her daughters, reminding us of that misery into which 
she fell by her curiosity and presumption. The man was 
doomed to earn his daily bread by the sweat of his brow, the 
ground itself being cursed for his sake. All nature partakes 
of his calamity. The elements are changed ; the eaithnow 
brings forth thorns, and thistles, and noxious weeds ; and 
the animal tribes no longer preserve their sense of obedi- 
ence to man. The strong and the fierce proclaim, as it were, 
universal war against him ; and the weak and timorous flee 
from his presence as from their greatest enemy. 

Paradise must no longer be polluted by creatures who 
have denied themselves with corruption. Having broken 
the covenant by which they held that delightful place, they 
must continue there no longer. 

How exceedingly affecting is it to view, in imagination, 
Adam and his partner slowly measuring their steps from 
Eden, the seat of bliss, and once the seat of innocence, to 
go they know not whither, carrying in their bosoms painful 
remorse and guilty fear ! But the decree is past. The mir 
nisters of divine justice are exact in fulfilling their com- 
mission ; and the flaming sword of the cherubim forbids all 
access to the tree of life. Yet in the midst of judgment 
God remembers mercy. In the plenitude of his goodness 
he takes pity upon the wretched offenders, and clothes them 
with skins of animals, such probably as had been offered in 
sacrifice. This institution of sacrifices could never have 
been of human invention ; for how strange is the thought, 
that the slaying a victim on an altar could expiate guilt, and 
satisfy divine justice ! It is not unlikely that the offering of 
thanksgiving was a religious rite even in Paradise. There, 
however, the offering consisted of the fruits of the earth 
only; but now the divine anger must be appeased, and the 
eucharistic rite gives place to the sacrifice of atonement. 
Hereby did the Almighty point man, by an expressive sign, 
to the great sacrifice and offering, which, in the person of the 
Messiah, was to be made for the sias of the world. 

Thus mercy springs up at the same time with judgment, 
and hope arises in the midst of darkness. Though Adam 
and Eve depart out of Paradise in consequence of their 
transgression, yet the presence of God goes with them, and a 
sweet promise of regaining his favour consoles them in the 
midst of their suffering. How good and gracious is the 
B 



lO SCRIPTURE BIOGRAPHY. 

Lord to his rebellious creatures, who have so heinouslj 
provoked his anger and challenged his justice 1 1 hat anger is 
mingled with commiseration, and that justice readily unites 
itself with me*rcy lor the redemption oi man. 

Adam, exiled trom Paradise, labours for the food which 
is necessary to his support : and Eve in sorrow and pain- 
conceives children. But though her suffering may be great, 
her mourning gives way to a new species of delight, because 
she hath brought a man-child into the world. In the ful- 
ness of her joy she calls her first-born Cain, which signifies 
possession* Remembering the promise which had been 
given, that " her seed should bruise the serpent's head," she 
entertains the fond idea that the declaration will be realiz- 
ed in this child. Looking upon his infant features with de- 
light as the promised deliverer, and taking a view of the de- 
lightful scene from which she had been forced to depart, 
she regains in imagination the beloved spot, and therefore, 
gives the child a name expressive of her feelings. Adam, 
doubtless chared with her in these rapturous sensations, and 
contemplated the infant with paternal pride and religious 
hope. But how deceiving are our expectations, even those 
of the purest kind, and how frequently are our desires Gros- 
sed, though they may not be excited by any improper mo- 
tives ! Man in his fallen state is weak, precipitate, and igno- 
rant. He builds up in his imagination many lofty struc- 
tures and pleasing schemes, vt hich can never be realized ; 
and oftentimes the most virtuous and pious minds exprience 
di->appointment in the expectations which they have formed* 

Tte hopes of Eve soon proved illusory, and, therefore, 
when she brought forth her next son, she gave him the ap- 
pellation of Abel, which signifies vanity. 

As these sons grew up to maturity, a strong diversity ap- 
peared in their tempers. The eldest was morose, selfish,, 
and envious ; the younger was gentle, yielding, and pious. 
Adam was careful to instil into their minds sentiments of re- 
ligion, and taught them by his example, the exercise of de- 
votion. The mind of Cain was rude and unthankful ; 
while the soul of Abel glowed with devotional ardour. He 
who sees the inmost movements of the heart was pleased 
■with the sentimental religion of the younger brother, and 
gave a visible sign of his approbation by accepting his sacri- 
fice. The offering of Cain being merely a formal service, in 
which the heart of che worshipper was not concerned, was. 



ADAM. 11 

rejected. This inflamed the passions of the wretch into dia- 
bolical hatred, and instigated by the evil one he imbrued his 
hands in his brother's blood. Thus death obtained his first 
conquest over man, and in what a shocking manner ! A 
more distressing spectacle cannot be conceived than the view 
of Adam and Eve contemplating with agonized hearts the 
mingled corpse of their pious and affectionate child. Death 
inflicted by the barbarous hands of their eldest son upon his 
unoffending brother, how dreadful ! So little were they ac- 
quainted with mortality, that this horrible appearance of it 
probably appalled their souls with the dreadful fear of its 
one day happening in like manner to themselves. This idea 
which was not unnatural in that early stage of the world, 
must have given an exquisite keenness to their grief, and have 
opened new sources of remorse and contrition for their dis- 
obedience. 

But time mellowed down their sorrow, and Eve again 
brought forth a son, whom she called Seth, " for God," said 
she, " hath appointed me another seed in the room of Abel, 
whom Cain slew."-* From this language it appears that her 
faith in the promise which had sweetened the sentence of 
heaven against her, was now revived, and that she regarded 
Seth as the deliverer appointed by the Almighty to regain Pa- 
radise. 

The human race now multiplied to a great degree, for to 
effect this the age of man was protracted by Providence to 
a very long period. But the longest portion of time is com- 
paratively short, and though in prospect it may carry a great 
and pleasing appearance, filled with scenes of importance, 
and delight, it is yet momentary, and soon comes to a close. 
When we read of the long lives of the patriarchs before the 
flood, extended to a number of years little short of a thou- 
sand, we view the round number with astonishment, but 
what is the conclusion ae last ? — They died. Thus the same 
event happened unto them which must happen unto us. The 
sentence pronounced against Adam for his transgression was- 
at length accomplished. After seeing the earth filled with 
his offspring, he bends downwards to the earth from whence 
he was extracted, and at the extraordinary age of nine hun- 
dred and thirty years, he yields up his spirit into the hands 
of God who gave it, and his body returns unto its primi- 
tive dust. This is the end of man. The sin of Adam 

* Gen. ir. 25. 



12 SCRIPTURE BIOGRAPHY. 

brought death into the world, and who can expect to be ex- 
empted from the fatal stroke ? Being partakers of his cor- 
ruption, we are also sharers of his punishment. 

But this death extends much farther than to the extinction 
of animal life. It comprehends also the loss of the divine 
favour, and an absolute separation from that Being who is 
the fountain of life and happiness. In this deplorable state 
both Adam and all his posterity must have continued for 
ever, had not the Almighty, in pure benignity, provided a 
remedy. 

It is, therfore, delightful for us to turn from the affecting 
and melancholy history we have been reviewing, to con- 
template the second Adam, and the work of redemption 
wrought out by him. 

The " first Adam was of the earth, earthly ; but the se- 
cond Adam is the Lord from heaven. "* This is no other 
than Jesus Christ, the promised deliverer, who was born of 
a woman, that he might in the human nature pay a full 
obedience to the divine commandments, and endure the pu- 
nishment exacted by divine justice for man's transgression. 
He lived a holy and an unspotted life, that he might fulfil all 
righteousness for those who should believe in him, and he 
suffered at last an ignominious death, that he might open un- 
to them the gates of everlasting life. He is the Lamb slain 
from the foundation of the world, being typified in the sacri- 
iices of old, believed in by the ancient patriarchs, and des- 
cribed by the inspired prophets. He hath not indeed re- 
gained for us the terrestrial Eden and the tree of life, which 
constituted the principal glory of that happy spot ; but he 
hath procured for us a right " to eat of the tree of life which 
is in the midst of the paradise of God."f 

As by Adam came death, so by Christ came life and im- 
mortality. The curse of a violated law is removed from 
those who seek the favour of God by genuine repentance, 
and by a lively faith in the merits of the Mediator, who de- 
scended from his throne of glory for this express purpose, 
that he might " redeem unto himself a peculiar people, zeal- 
ous of good works. "£ So great was the divine goodness, that 
before the offence was committed, this stupendous means 
of salvation was devised and established. The promise of 
the Saviour was in consequence delivered to the offenders 

• i Cor. xv. 47. f Rey. 2. ?, .$ Tit. U.14. 



ADAM. 13 

before their expulsion from Paradise, and it continued to be 
enforced and explained in clearer and stronger terms, " at 
sundry times, and in divers manners, by the prophets, " till 
the illustrious personage himself appeared, who, after put- 
ting away sin by the sacrifice of himself, ascended up into 
glory, where he ever liveth to make intercession for us. " 



14 SCRIPTURE BIOGRAPHY. 

CAIN AND AiiEL. Q 

^.3EL was murdered hi the Tear of the World 1.80 : before 
Christ £ 8/4 ; but the Death of Cain is uncertain* 

DISAPPOINTMENT and domestic trouble soon cloucf- 
ed the first family of the world. Sin produced cala- 
mity in abundance, and one rash act embittered the remain- 
ing years of our first parents. Intervals of delight and sea- 
sons of hope did, indeed, cheer their hearts, and the divine 
promise which had been made to them of a deliverer, con- 
soled them under the heavy loss which they had sustained. 
THe firstborn of Eve was beheld with rapture as the pro- 
mised seed, and the fondest expectations were entertained 
of blessings to be derived from his virtues and his exertions. 
But as he grew upwards his temper discovered a malignancy 
and stubborn ferocity, which convinced his parents that 
their hopes were delusive. In process of time Eve was de- 
livered of another son, on whom she bestowed the name of 
Abel, the meaning of which is a breath of air, as the fittest 
emblem of vanity. Was she now bec«me indifferent to the 
divine promise, or, by a kind of prophetic intuition, was 
she led to give him this appellation ? Parents in general are 
fond of bestowing names which are pleasing and flattering 
to their hopes. But, in the present instance, there is an 
evident appearance of disappointment or fear. Thus in 
** sorrow did Eve 5 ' bring forth children. 

From what the apostle John observes concerning the 
eldest of these brothers, that " Cain was of the wicked 
one,"* and, indeed, from the whole tenour of his conduct 
there can be no doubt but that he was from his childhood 
under the influence of those wicked passions which are the 
principal instruments of the tempter. 

His occupation was that of husbandry, at once laborious 
and unsocial. The earth being now cursed for man's sake 
no longer yielded him food spontaneously, but required 
mich digging and dressing. This could not be done with- 
out suitable implements, and those in a rude age were ne- 
cessarily of a very simple construction. The contrivance 
and formation of these lay, partly at least, upon Cain, and 
as the use of iron and other metals was then unknown, we 
razy well suppose that with tools made of wood, agriculture 

* John, iii. 12. 



CAIN AND ABEL. 15 

could not be a very easy employment. "What must have 
deeply affected the gloomy mind of Cain still more, \vas the 
reflection that his weight of labour which he endured was 
the consequence of his parents r transgression. He had 
often learnt from their own lips what they had lost, and he 
had heard them describe the ease and delight of their former 
state in contract with their present condition. 

He therefore probably thought it hard to bear any part of 
their burden, and without having had any share in their of- 
fence, to undergo a principal part of the sentence, u to eat 
his bread by the sweat of his brow." Discontent is always 
allied to envy and hatred. Cain's younger brother had is 
disposition and an employment very different from his. He 
"was of a meek and religious turn, to which his pastoral oc- 
cupation greatly contributed. Beloved of God, it is no 
wonder that he should be the delight of his parents also. 
This could not be pleasing to the sellish heart of his brother, 
who bore his own lot with dissatisfaction, as being a kind 
of punishment, and viewed that of Abel as the effect of un- 
just partiality. 

Adam, it seems, carefully endeavoured to instil into the 
minds of his children sentiments of religious efuty, and 
taught them by his example to adore their Creator as the 
author of all their gifts. Cain was not so lost to decency as to 
neglect entirely the worship of God. When the earth, 
■which he had cultivated with so much pains, brought forth 
fruit in profuse abundance, he erected an altar, and made 
thereon an offering unto the Lord. At the same time his> 
brother Abel brought an offering of the firstlings of his flock, 
and of the fattest thereof, as a sacrifice of atonement. " And 
the Lord had respect unto Abel and his offering ; but unto 
Cain and his offering he had not respect."* The reason of 
his difference is thus accounted for by the apostle Paul : — 
" By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice 
than Cain, by which he obtained witness that he was righ- 
teous, God testifying of his gifts."f He came before God 
with a heart filled with love to him, and fully resting upon 
his grace and goodness. " He that cometh to God must 
believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that 
diligently seek him.":]: Abel not only believed in the ex- 
istence and power of God, but in his holiness, his justice, 
and his mercy. This made Abel humble in his own eyes, 

* «en, iv r 4. f Heb. *L 4, * lb. v. & 



16* SCRIPTURE BIOGRAPHY. 

conscious of being, as a sinner, unworthy to approach the 
divine presence. He made his offering, therefore, with a 
penitent heart, supplicating pardon and exceptance from 
the Almighty. His motives v> ere discerned by the searcher 
of hearts, and the heavenly flame descending upon the altar 
consumed his victim, as a manifest token that the worship- 
per was accounted " righteous before the Lord." 

The offering of Cain remained where he had placed it ; 
because it was not accompanied by the heart of the giver. 
He came merely because it was customary to come, and he 
laid the fruits of the earth upon the altar, as if he had been 
bestowing a favour rather than courting one. No sense of 
religious or social duty actuated his mind. He had no idea 
of being a sinner, nor any awful apprehension of the divine 
justice as exercising itself againsi sin. At the very time 
when he u built an altar unto the Lord," his heart was a 
prey to discontent, envy, and hatred : the polluted offering, 
therefore, instead of obtaining any mark of divine favour 
■was rejected with abhorrence as a vile profanation. He saw 
his brother's victim flaming at a distance, and the grateful 
cloud ascending from the altar towards heaven, while his own 
laboured pile, and all that he had laid upon it, were cast off 
as a proof of the divine displeasure. This, so far from 
humbling his mind, and bringing him to repentance, filled 
him with bitterness and excited him to rage. Instead of 
justifying the righteous and holy God, by calling his sin to 
remembrance, and examining his heart and conduct, he be- 
came furious and vengeful. " His countenance fell, and 
he was very wroth."* Wretched mortal, he had the teme- 
rity even to be angry with heaven, and to entertain a re- 
sentful enmity against Providence ! 

The Lord, full of goodness and condescension, reasons 
with Cain upon his evil conduct ; and in the most gentle, 
persuasive manner endeavours to soften his obdurate heart. 
" Why art thou wroth ?" says he ; " and why is thy 
countenance fallen ? If thou doest well shalt thou not be 
accepted ? and if thou doest not well sin lieth at thy door ;" 
that is, it remaineth as thy own fault to condemn thee. 
Nothing can possibly be more equitable than this reasoning. 
A fair choice is set before Cain, and it lies with him to fol- 
low either right or wrong. The Almighty has laid no 
man under a necessity of sinning ; nor will he condemn any 

* Gen. iv. 5. 



CAIN AND ABEL. 11 

One for unvoluntary errors. But if, after a fair warning, 
and after obtaining a knowlefre of his duty, man will diso- 
bey the Lord by violating his laws, he can have no ground to 
complain if God shall reject and punish him. The ways of 
the Almighty are all perfectly right, and such as every man's 
unbiassed judgment must approve : conscience gives them, 
her entire sanction whenever her still sober voice is attended 
to, and attended to it must be either now to agenuine repent- 
ance, or hereafter to goad us with remorse and anguish. 
The Almighty, in order to remove all excuse from Cain, 
and to give him every opportunity of doing good instead of, 
evil, graciously gives him a promise, that upon his making 
a right choice he shall hold the pre-eminence over his bro- 
ther. This right of primogenitureship was considered as 
invaluable in the early ages, and included a degree of so- 
vereignty. What can Cain desire more ? The God of 
heaven has designed to open to him the path of duty, to 
reason with him upon his doubts, to make him a promise 
of his favour upon the fairest conditions, and to superadd 
another promise calculated to calm down his disturbed pas- 
sions, and to disperse his gloomy fears. 

How full of compassion and long-suffering is Jehovah, 
and how fitly is he styled the " God of Love,"* not wil- 
ling that any should perish, but that all should come to re- 
pentance ! He casts off no sinner, till the sinner first casts 
off his allegiance to God^ and hardens his heart against 
every admonition. 

Cain, notwithstanding this solemn warning and merciful 
declaration, still continues to harbour the most deadly ma- 
lignity in his heart. His innocent and righteous brother 
remains the object of his hatred, and why ? Is it because 
he has been more favoured by his parents than Cain, or that 
he has assumed any pretence of authority over him ? No ; 
" he hates him, because his own works are evil and his bro- 
ther's righteous."! And this has always been the case 
with the wicked, and it ever will be so ; for darkness is not 
more opposite to light than evil is to goodness, and they who 
love the one cannot endure the other. There are some 
animals that, on the appearance of dawn, disappear into 
dark coverts, and remain there till the curtain of night 
again envelopes the world, when they issue forth in quest of 
their prey. In them we have an exact emblem of the 

; 1 John. iy. 8. f lb. iii. 2. 



IS SCRIPTURE BTOGRAPHT; : 

wicked, who naturally hate the light of truth, and hav© 
moreover a deadly animosity against those who walls in 
righteousness. They who love iniquity, hate the virtuous 
and pious, because their tempers and their pursuits are dif- 
ferenc from their own. The reputation and lustre of genu- 
ine piety only serve to make vice appear mort deformed 
and odious. The wicked man, therefore, being conscious 
that his own character and principles will not stand the test 
©f comparison, has a rooted enmity against those who are 
beautifully called in scripture fcfc the children of the light and 
of the day,"*' In Abel we behold the mild, open, and 
unsuspecting man of religion ; in his brother the malicious, 
dark, ana treacherous emissary of Satan. 

u Righteous Abel,"f as he is,cmphatically styled by the 
blessed Redeemer, conscious of his own integrity, and enter- 
taining no jealousy or resentment in his own mind, freely 
enters into conversation with Cain his brother, who in the 
midst of the discourse rise& suddenly up and murders him* 

This crime, which is the highest in the scale of guilt 
stands aggravated in the present instance to an unparalleled 
degree by the circumstances which attend it. An elder 
brother is the natural protector of the younger part of the 
family, but Cain breaks the tenderest of social ties and obli* 
gations without any provocation. He has been cautioned 
by a voice from heaven against the indulgence of that en- 
vious spirit which is the source of every evil. Notwithstanding 
this he takes his brother aside into a lonely place, and dis- 
courses with him apparently in friendship for the express 
purpose of assassinating him — and for what ? merely be- 
cause Abel was a u righteous man," or one w T ho made con- 
science his rule in all things. 

Thus the first man on whom the sentence of death is in- 
flicted, becomes a martyr for his religion. Cain, without 
remorse, and evidently from premeditated design, pours out 
the blood of his brother as a sacrifice to the father of evil $ . 
to whose guidance he has submitted himself, in opposition to 
the warning voice of heaven. Abel offers up his life pas- 
sively as an innocent sacrifice for the truth ; and his blood 
cries to heaven from the ground. Nor is the voice unheard. 
Though no human eye beheld the atrocious murder, the eye 
of omniscience marked every part of the scene. Cain per- 
haps, took some pains, after he had effected his sanguinary 

• h Thes. v.,5, + Matt xxiii. 35.- 



CAIN AND ABEL. 19 

purpose, to conceal the mangled remains of righteous Abel 
from the searching eye of man, but could he hide tne cir- 
cumstance from God i No. Judgment soon overtakes 
him, and a voice from heaven thus addresses aim, u Where 
is Abel thy brother .'" The qu siion one might naturally 
suppose, would have pierced the inmost soul of the culprit, 
and have produced a horrible dread, at least, if not remorse 
of conscience But this is not the case. Cain's heart is still as 
hard as adamant. He has the shameless audacity to utter a 
.flat falsehood in the face of God himself. iC 1 know not (says 
he.) Am 1 my brother's keeper f"* This reply shews that 
his conscience was " seared as vith a hot iron," and was be- 
come callous to every Jeeling of shame. He has no concern 
for the heinous crime of which he has been guilty, hit feels 
no compunction for having robbed his parents of their 
comfort. He laments not his own ungovernable temper. 
He repents not his having called down the vengeance of 
-an offended God upon his head. His whole behaviour is 
of a piece, and exhibits a man lost to every sense of human- 
ity and religion. After a gentle examination which has pro- 
ved fruitless, the Aimighty proceeds at once to accuse and to 
punish the unnatural criminal before him. u And he said. 
What hast thou done ?" The voice of thy brother's blood 
crieth unto me from the ground. And now art thou cursed 
from the earth, which hath opened her mouth to receive thy 
brother's blood from thy hand. When thou tillest the 
ground it shall not henceforth yield unto thee her strength* 
A fugitive and a vagabond shalt thou be in the earth." 

Nature herself is here represented as setting her face 
against one who has violated the tenderest of social ties. 
The earth is made to harden her bosom against the cruel 
wretch, who could so far conquer every fraternal feeling as 
to shed the blood of his unoffending brother. Divine ven* 
geance must and will awake against a monster so abandoned ; 
and the judgment pronounced is just. The ground receives 
another curse on account ot Cain's transgression. Thus 
moral evil continues to multiply natural evil. The earth 
encreases in sterility, at least to Cain. He may labour, but 
it shall be» in vain : he may sow, but he shall not reap. 
Henceforth he must depend for his subsistence upon what 
he may casually obtain. Not only so, but he is to be an' out- 
cast and a wanderer upon the face of the earth. What rest 

•* Gen, iv. fc 



20 SCRIPTURE BIOGRAPHY. 

ing-place can that man have who is exiled from God, ancTwho 
has a gnawing conscience, a never-dying worm in his breast 1 
Punishment will necessarily follow guilt, and though a man 
may contrive to evade the vengeance of human laws, he 
cannot escape from the accusing severity of his own reac- 
tions, and the terrors of his affrighted imagination. These 
will conjure up a thousand enemies where there are in 
realty none ; and will present to the mind of the sinner for- 
midable dangers in places where there is nothing to fear. 
No one can ad quately conceive the agony of a " wounded 
spirit," but the wretched being who has made heaven his 
enemy. All is hell, and torment, and ijiisery in that bosom. 
Wnen awake he is afraid, and his thoughts revolve upon his 
crime and its consequences : he wishes for the night season, 
that he may lie down under the covert of darkness, and 
enjoy in sleep some cessation from his pain. But even here 
his desire is mociced ; for the irritated spirit cannot be lulled 
into quiet even when the eyes are closed, and the bodily 
senses are locked up in torpor. Then in dreams the wretch 
reviews his guilty act, and starts at some horrible phantom 
ready to take vengeance upon him for his transgression. 

Such was the situation of Cain. He felt the hot fire of 
hell iahis soul, and he cried out, fct My punishment is greater 
than I can bear." The fratricide can feel the lash, though he 
is insensible to genuine repentance. He can complain of the 
punishment, though he has no sorrow of heart for the sin 
wnich occasioned it. This is often the case with the wicked. 
When their iniquity is discovered, and their secret enormi- 
ties are dragged to light and justice, they express accute an- 
guish and sorrow, which result not from compunction but 
from a fearful apprehension of what is to follow. Thus Cain, 
on hearing his sentence, is afraid " that every one who 
meets him will slay him." This fear was certainly natural 
enough : for the murderer no longer belongs to society. — 
He has cut himself off from all right to social union, reci- 
procal offices of humanity, and even to life itself, by de- 
priving another of his existence. Cain is, therefore appre- 
hensive that every one's hand will be raised against him to 
avenge the death of the righteous Abel. Here, however, 
the Almighty interposeth, and expressly forbids any to pu- 
nish the wretch who has fallen into his hand. It is added, 
that to prevent this, God set a particular mark or sign upon 
the fugitive, which should make him known wherever he 



CAIN AND ABEL. 21 

wandered. What this mark was is not mentioned, nor 
does it concern us to know it. All that is necessary for the 
regulation of our faith and practice is plainly laid down \n 
the bible ; and where no information is given, it is evident 
that enquiry is not necessary. 

Manv needless observations have been made respecting 
the land of Nod, in wnich it is said that Cain took up his 
residence after the murder of his brother. Nod signifies in 
Hebrew simply vagabond ; and nothing more is meant in the 
text than that Cain went into the country eastward as a 
vagabond, leading a wandering life, a prey to corroding fear 
and remorse. 

Petty infidels, ever ready to find fault with sacred writ, 
have endeavoured to impeach the veracity of Moses as a 
historian, by enquiring, 4w how Cain could fear being 
killed in a distant country, when we read of no other chil- 
dren that Adam then possessed ?" This futile objection is 
easily answered ; for if Adam had then no more sons he 
doubtless had daughters who were married to Cain and 
Abel, for the latter could not be less than one hundred and 
twenty-five at the time of his death. Now, by supposing 
them to marry at the age of nineteen or twenty, and to have 
grand-children, the earth must have had, at that period, some 
thousands of inhabitants. Cain had, therefore, just grounds 
to apprehend that some of Abel's descendants would avenge 
upon him the death of their pious relative. The wretched 
exile at length planted a colony, and built himself a city. 
This precaution resulted from the same principle of fear ; 
for guilt is always allied to cowardice, and never thinks it- 
self safe from attack. 

Concerning the fate of Cain we are ignorant ; and it can 
afford us no satisfaction to trace the progress of a wicked 
and unhappy man to the death-bed of horror and remorse. 

The ingenious author of an elegant romance upon the 
u Death of Abel," has indeed made Cain a penitent, and 
softened down the harsh features of his character in such a 
manner, as to lead the unwary reader into a belief that the 
miserable fratricide at length obtained the divine forgiveness. 
We have certainly nothing to do with the secret dispensa- 
tions ot Providence in its disposal of men after death ; but 
the greatest stretch of charity can hope for nothing in fa- 
vour of Cain, who is expressly said to " belong to the devil" 
Here, then, we stop to pause upon the awful story we 



32 SCRIPTURE BIOGRAPHY. 

have been contemplating. In Abel we benold a righteous 
man falling b nearh the murderous hand of his elder brother. 
The ways of Heaven are mysterious ; and when inconside- 
rate man observes sucn scenes as this, he is apt to question 
'the rectitude of the divine proceedings. But the time is not 
yet come for us to form a judgment upon these dispensa- 
tions. God cannot possibly err or do wrong. It is, there- 
fore, our place to submit humbly to his will, and to ac- 
quiesce in his providential dealings. 

Abel rose from a wretched world of corruption and 
trouble to a crown ot righte usness which fadeth not away, 
happy in being the first of human kind who obtained a 
seat in the heavenly paradise, even though it was by a vio- 
lent death. In him certainly we have a lively type of the 
blessed Redeemer. Abel was a shepherd, and doth not 
Jesus Christ call himself the tfc good shepherd who giveth 
his life for the sheep ?"* Abel presented an offering unto 
the Lord of the vers best of his flock, as a sacrifice of atone- 
snent for his own sins ; but Christ made an offering of him- 
self as a lamb, without spot and without blemish, for the 
•sins of the world. T ne blood of Abel cried unto Heaven 
from the ground for vengeance upon the murderer ; but the 
blood of Christ >k speaks better things than the blood of 
Ab L"f being shed to procure pardon and peace for guilty 
snan. Anel fell by the unnatural hands of his brotner, and 
that for righteousness sake. Christ was betrayed by a fa- 
% r oured disciple, and crucified at the instigation of his bre- 
theren the Jews, though he was declared innocent by the 
governor who condemned him. 

Here the parallel closes. But what abundant and various 
matter of instruction may we not gather from the whole 
siarrativei How should we learn to crush every envious 
and jealous principle in the bud, lest it rankle in our hearts, 
and render us miserable to ourselves and odious to all around 
us ! In Abel we perceive the beauty and excellence of true 
religion, it has crowned him with immortality and honour : 
in C un we see the deformity of irreligion, it has covered 
him vvith shame, and transmitted him to far-dtstant posterity 
-as an object of universal detestation. 

♦.Johns, ii. f Heb. xii. 24 



ENOCH, £ 23 

Translated in the Tear of the World 988, aged 365. 

THERE are many characters in the sacred history of 
w^om,. though they were the excellent of the earth, little 
memorial is recorded. While the narratives of some are 
drawn out at great length and even the actions of wicked 
men are delineated in copious and expressive language, the 
names of the most pious and extraordinary peisons are just 
passed over \iith some striking epithet, which lea.es % 
pleasing regret in our minds that more is not said of them* 
Thev appear for a moment to excite our ad iration, and 
are then removed, without having fully gratified our curio- 
sin . The busiest life is not always the best ; and that 
which is drawn out to the greatest extent, or varied v ith the 
greatest number of incidents, is not the most to be envied™. 
He who pursues the " noiseless tenour of his way," keeping- 
closely in the path of duty, and living in communion with 
his God. is a far higher character than the bustling and il- 
lustrious man of the world- 
Short is the- account given of the patriarch Enoch, but 
the character which he bears, and the circumstance record- 
ed of him, render his name peculiarly venerable, and pre- 
sent him to our notice as a personage of great importance* 
He was born in the year of the world 623, and, being con^ 
temporary with Adam, he had every opportunity of learm- 
ing from his lips the story of the creation, the circumstance 
of the fall, the terms of the promise, and other valuable 
truths. Enoch profited by his intimacy with the venerable 
father of the human race, and his mind became richly- 
stored with wisdom. An ancient author affirms that he was 
the father of astrology, or rather of astronomy ; and Eu- 
sebius hence infers, that he is the same with the Atlas of 
the Grecian mythology. There is, indeed, great reason to* 
believe thac aost of the deities of that mythology are 
but scripture characters grossly corrupted ; but whether the> 
present conjecture is well founded matters little. Enoch r s 
feme rests upon a better basis than upon his zeal or reputed 
skill in astronomy. Although that science is noble and di- 
vine, tending to enlarge the ideas of man, and to fill his 
mind with reverence for the great Creator of the universe, 
yet the profoundest knowlege of it is less valuable than an 
acquaintance with divine truth and the cultivation of moral 
excellence. To. subdue the proud and irregular passions o£ 



24 SCRIPTURE BIOGRAPHY. 

the mind, to live above the vanities of the world, and in a 
constant obedience to the will of heaven, is a course infi- 
nitely more exalted than the pursuit of earthly wisdom. A 
iran may be able to name all the stars at sight, to calculate 
their distances, and to ascertain their magnitudes with ex- 
treme accuracy : he may also be able to enumerate and class 
the different orders of plants, from the " cedar which 
groweth on Lebanon to the hyssop that springeth out of 
the wall ;"* he may, moreover, be minutely acquainted 
with the various tribes of animals, the properties of mine- 
rals, and have besides the most extensive knowlege of men 
and things — yet with all his store of information he may 
be still poor and ignorant, knowing nothing of the value of 
his immortal soul, having no acquaintance with religious 
truth, nor enjoying any communion with God. 

The encomium of Enoch is, that " he walked with 
GW."f He might trace the divine footsteps in the works 
of Creation and Providence, but the expression implies 
something more particular and endearing. Enoch is here 
represented as the friend and companion of the Almighty ; 
and, the scripture elsewhere remarks, that " two cannot walk 
together except they are agreed." This walking together 
implies a cordial sympathy and mutual love and esteem ; 
the very thing intended by the historian in his description of 
the patriarch. Enoch was not contented with a mere 
formal profession of religion, or with a general acknow- 
legement of his belief in a Deity; but his soul was filled 
with love to God : a warm and lively sense of the divine 
presence occupied his mind, and his faculties were rendered 
wholly subservient unto the divine will. He studied con- 
stantly to keep his thoughts, words, and actions in a strict 
conformity to the holy law of God ivom. pleasure and not 
from fear. His morning vows ascended to the eternal 
throne, his active hours were employed in doing good, and 
the evening was shut in with grateful thanksgiving to the 
God of his mercies. 

In this course every good man walks with God, as 
lunoch did ; and it is only by such a course that any one 
can find comfort and satisfaction in this varied troublesome, 
and sinful world. But Enoch, in consideration of his 
splendid virtues, was admitted to a very near intercourse 
with the Almighty. St. Jude calls him a prophet, and he 

* i Kings iv. 33. f Gen. v, %\ 



ENOCH. 25 

appears to have been the first who obtained that honourable 
character. 

In his time the world was become sadly corrupted and 
'given to idolatry ; so soon did sin and infidelity spread 
among the sons of men. The fall of Adam quickly pro- 
duced evils in abundance. The next circumstance recorded 
is the murder of Abel, soon after which we read of the in- 
troduction of polygamy by Lamech ; and before the death 
of Adam iniquity seems to have covered almost the whole 
earth. 

Amidst this dismal scene of corruption, one bright ex- 
ception was found in the person of Enoch. While mankind 
at large were living in open rebellion against heaven, and 
provoking the divine vengeance daily by their ungodly 
deeds, he obtained this exalted testimony, u that he pleased 
God" This he did not only by the exemplary tenour of 
his life, and by the attention which he paid to the outward 
services of religion, but by the soundness of his faith and the 
purity of his zeal. St. Paul speaks thus of him : " By faith 
Enoch was translated, that he should not see death, and was 
not found, because God had translated him ; for before his 
translation he had this testimony, that he pleased God, For 
without faith it is impossible to please God ; for he that 
cometh to'G^must believe that he is, and that he is a re- 
warder cf them that diligently seek him."^ 

The intent of the apostle, in the discourse from whence 
this passage is taken, is, to shew that there has been but one 
way of obtaining the divine favour ever since the fall, and that 
is by faith, or a firm belief in the atonement to be made for 
human transgression, by the obedience, sufferings, and death 
of the Messiah. The cloud of witnesses which the apostle 
has produced of old-testament worthies all bore, in their re- 
spective generations, their testimony to this great doctrine 
in opposition to the moral atheism and gross idolatry which 
prevailed around them. All the patriarchs are celebrated for 
their being faithful to this great truth, and for preserving this 
principle of pure religion in the midst of a corrupt and 
crooked generation. Enoch, therefore, is said, by another 
evangelical writer, to have preached Christ unto the antedi- 
luvian sinners ; a position strange and unnatural, if the know- 
lege of the Messiah was not communicated to man at that 
early period. The words of the apostle are remarkable : 

* Ileb. xi. 5, 6, 

D 



ft£ SCRIPTURE BIOGRAPHY. 

" And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of 
these, saying, Behold the Lord cometh with ten thousand 
©1 his saints : to execute judgment upon all, and to con- 
vince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly 
deeds which they have ungodly committed, and of all their 
hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against 
him."* 

This prophecy is a clear and it is also an awful des- 
cription of the day of judgment, when the Messiah shall sit 
upon his throne of justice to determine the final condition of 
mankind according to their works. Where the apostle found 
ihis prediction has been matter of much speculation and 
enquiry. Some, indeed, have produced a spurious treatise, 
called u The Book of Enoch," which they pretend contains 
the cited passage ; but its authority is not proved and there- 
fore it is to be supposed that either the prophecy was 
traditional, or that it was specially revealed to St. Jude. 

Thus Enoch was found faithfulin his generation, not onljr 
as a pious and an upright man, but as a powerful preacher 
of righteousness. His mind, strengthened and directed by 
the spirit of GocL penetrated through a long series of inter- 
vening ages, and beheld the incarnation and death of the 
Messiah, saw him rise triumphant from the grave, then 
ascend to the throne of God. and. lastly, at the consum- 
mation of all things descend in glory, surrounded with his 
liolv angels, as the judge of all the earth. 

The patriarch being grieved at the abominations which 
he beheld every day, denounced the terrors of the Almighty 
against the authors of them with that zeal which became 
One who had received a divine commission. He was not 
content with living according to the rule of righteousness 
himself, but it was his desire to see the authority of God 
universally respect, d. It is impossible that we can hear the 
name of the object we love slightingly spoken of, without 
expressing a friendly zeal. And can any one pretend t© 
love God, and be unconcerned at seeing his holy name, his 
law, his word, and his ordinances despised and blasphemed ? 
"Where this love is reallv seated in the heart, there will be 
a zeal for all' that concerns the honour of Go*/ and -for the 
credit of religion. This will be not a blind, persecuting spirit, 
mixed up of bigotry, prejndice, and conceit, but an open, 
generous cor.fidentreadinessto defend truth, to reprove vice, 
and to -confute error. A person of this disposition may be 

* Jude 14> 15.- 



ENOCH. 27 

despised bv the ignorant and wicked, and he may be spurned 
by tiic proud man and the philosopher, but his name shall be 
recorded with honour ; the good of every age will mention 
him with reverence ; and, at the great day of account he 
shall receive the approbation of God himself, in the pre- 
sence of an assembled world. 

Tie divine favour eminently distinguished! the righteous 
man both in life and death It is true he may not enjoy great 
distinctions among men, he .nay not roll in riches, or be 
cried up as a prodigy of wisdom and genius, but he will pos- 
sess an inward comtort and pleasure which the world can 
neither give nor take away. While he kl walks with God" 
who is the fountain or all good, he cannot but enjoy serenity 
-of mind, which is above every earthly delight. The sense of 
the divine favour is a cordial to him in every trying season, 
and sweetens every calamity-. If he is visited by affliction, 
or is deprived of any temporal good, he sorrows not as those 
who have no hope, but he is comforted by the consideration 
that he wk has an inheritance beyond the skies which fadeth 
no* away." There tv remaiheth a rest for the people of 
God"* even a mansion of bliss, where no pain shall tor- 
ment, no sin defile, nor any wicked to trouble them. They 
who, " walk with God" in the path of holy duty and 
virtue, continue to have that glorious state before them in 
every circumstance of life. Prosperity does not dazzle 
them, adversity does not depress them. The view of death 
and eternity, in the former case, keeps them humble, and, 
•in the later, it cheers their hearts, to consider that the time 
is coming when all trouble shall be done away, and when 
tears shall be forever wiped from their eyes. 

In the departure of Enoch from this world of sin and sor- 
row, the Almighty altered the ordinary cuurse of things, and 
gave him a dismissal as honourable to himself as it was in- 
structive to mankind. To convince them that holiness only 
was acceptable with him, and that he had prepared for those 
who love him a mansion of glory, he caused Enoch to be 
taken from earih to heaven without passing through deach. 

We have only three instances of this assumption of a human 
body into heaven upon record ; that of Enoch, and thou of 
Elijah and Jesus Christ, ail in distinct and remote a^es ©f 
jhe world. 

* Hek vr. % 



28 SCRIPTURE BIOGRAPHY. 

^ Thus in distant periods of time did God vouchsafe to 
give men a demonstrative proof of the reality of a future 
state. And this, in the antediluvian world, was peculiarly 
necessary, being .strikingly calculated to impress the minds 
of men with a belief, of a most important truth, which, 
through their long residence here, they might be apt to 
forget. Enoch, a public character of eminent gifts and 
virtues, a preacher of righteousness, and an examplar of ho- 
ly living, is taken up into heaven, without enduring the 
customary pangs of dissolving nature, or becoming a life- 
less and putrid corpse. Such an instance could not but pro- 
duce much observation among his contemporaries, and the 
circumstance doubtless was carefully handed down from 
one generation to another with wonder and reverence. But 
if this is a proof of the doctrine of a future state, it is no 
less an evidence of that of the resurrection ; for if corrup- 
tion is thus made to inherit incorruption, if that which is 
mortal is made to put on immortality, and a perishable bo- 
dy is translated into the realms of eternal life, why should 
it be deemed a thing incredible that God should raise the 
dead ? Does it require a greater act of power to recover the 
sleeping and scattered ashes of the dead from the dust of 
the ground, or from the waters of the ocean, than to raise 
the body and soul of a man from earth to heaven ? 

Both are equally miraculous, and both are equally the 
same to him, who by his word created all things out of 
nothing. 

Let us, then, humbly believe and adore the divine good- 
ness, who, in raising Enoch, Elijah and Jesus Christ, has 
given us a powerful assurance that he will raise up also us at 
the last day. But let this consideration also beget in us the 
resolution of taking the word of God for our conduct in 
this life, that we may not fail of receiving a glorious habi- 
tation in the life to come. By faith and holiness we shall 
pass through the dark and perplexing paths of this sinful 
-world, as the friends of God, who will at last cause us to 
be brought into his presence, where, with Enoch, and with 
all the holy men of old, patriarchs and prophets, apostles 
and martyrs, the good and pious of every age and clime, 
we shall partake fulness of pure joy, and taste of divine 
pleasure for evermore. 



( 29 ) 
NOAH. /47t, 

f 

Born in the year of the World 1057, entered the Ark in 
1656, dud in 2007. 

THOUGH mercy and goodness are the most distin- 
guished characteristics of the Almighty, yet his judg- 
ments are terrible, certain and just. He forbears long with 
the wickedness of men, and he withholds his vengeance 
from falling on their guilty heads till their cup of iniquity is 
full, and justice necessarily takes place of mercy. The 
long-suffering of God, when contrasted with the impiety 
and ingratitude of man, will, to the humble mind, always 
account for the awful visitations of providence, and for 
those seeming inequalities in the moral government of the 
world, which so often perplex the most inconsiderate, and 
disturb even the most pious persons. 

At the birth of Noah, which was in the one thousand 
and fifty-seventh year of the world, the earth was full of in- 
habitants, and iniquity had increased in an equal proportion 
with population. The father of this great patriarch was 
Lamech, the son of Methuselah, who died at the age of 
nine hundred and sixty-nine. The father of Methuselah 
was Enoch, that eminent man, who was no less remarkable 
for the holiness of his life than for the manner of his depar- 
ture into heaven. Thus the history of the creation, and 
the most important truths of religion, could easily be trans- 
mitted through a long space of time, without being liable to 
misrepresentation or perversion. Adam communicated all 
his knowlege to Enoch, and that venerable man committed 
the precious deposit to Methuselah, if not, indeed, to Noah 
himself. This was a wise and gracious order of things, 
which could not so well have been answered if the age of 
man had been limited within the narrow boundaries to 
which it is now confined. 

But with all the advantages of religious information, 
possessed by the inhabitants of the old world, the history of 
them is black in the extreme. One or two pious exceptions 
only are recorded, while the rest are represented as being so 
wicked, as to u grieve the spirit of God"* by their iniquity. 
For a considerable time, it seems, the children of Cain, and 
of those the other branches of Adam's family, kept at a dis- 

* Gen. vi. 6. 



50 SCRIPTURE BIOGRAPHY. 

tance from each other. The former were exceedingly inge- 
nious and made a number of discoveries, some of a me- 
ch:\>iicai nature, serviceable to the purposes of life, and 
others in the way of elegant refinement. The latter were 
distinguished by the simplicity of their manners, and their 
adherence to the worship and service of the true God, In 
time, however, the boundaries of this division grew narrow- 
er, aad the " sons of God"* as they are emphatically cal- 
led, became enamoured of the beauty and accomplishments 
©f the females of Cain's posterity, and formed marriages 
with them. From improper connections nothing but evil 
can proceed. Indiscreet marriages are the sources of nu- 
merous calamities which disturb society and embitter pri- 
vate life. 

The attractive influence of these women soon corrupted 
the pious principles of their husbands. The female posses- 
sed of all other accomplishments, and yet devoid of religi- 
ous sentiments, is a most dangerous companion for a man of 
sobriety, who is desirous of serving Gad with all his house* 
Her authority and persuasions vviil only weaken his virtuous 
resolutions, or counteract his endeavours. Children and 
domestics will entertain but little respect for religion, while 
the mistress of the family slights it by her neglect, or sets 
herself in direct opposition to its institutions. A pious 
woman may do much good in conjunction with her hus- 
band ; but one of an. opposite character is certain of doing 
considerable mischief. Let all young persons, therefore, of 
either sex, be particularly careful in examining the charac- 
ters and principles of those who offer themselves to them as 
partners fur life. It is a momentous consideration, and it is 
in this view that we are enabled to account for so many un- 
happy marriages, at least a very powerful reason hence ap- 
pears whv so naay turn out uncomfortable on both sides. 
A person of libertine sentiments will rarely prove an agree- 
able partner. It is true the example of a pious companion 
may have some infiuerice upon the vitiated mind, and in 
some cases it may eftect a reformation. Bnt this is a risk 
too great to be ventured, and common prudence will forbid 
the running into it, because the chances against such a hap- 
py event are innumerable. It is a dreadful hazard, and may 
be considered with justice as nothing better than rash pre- 
sumption. 

* den, vi. 4>: 



NOAH. . z% 

The story we are reviewing is a practical illustration of 
these remarks, and v\ arns all u ho haw been tramecl up in the 
way oi virtue, against forming connections with the vain, 
the vicious, and the profane. 

The good was soon followed up through the prevalence of 
iniquit} . The blandishments of vice prevailed. Ga\ ttmuse* 
meats paved the way to immorality, and the neglect oi de- 
votion led to infidelity and idolatrj . A familiar association 
with the wicked will soon contaminate the most virtuous 
mind, and destroy the influence of religious principle.* — 
They who once enjoyed the high distinction oi being called 
the u sons of Gcd" became, in a short time, as corrupt as 
their licentious partners, so that there was scarcely a vestige 
of true religion left upon the earth. The offspring of these 
promiscuous marriages are called in scripture giants* not 
perhaps on account of their extraordinary stature, but theb 
abominable height in wickedness. It is a most dismal and 
shocking picture which the sacred historian draws of the 
manners of the old world, when by a bold figure of speech 
he describes the whole human race as but one man, " the 
thought of whose heart was only evil continually J 9 

The seat of iniquity is undoubtedly in the heart, from 
whence proceeds every species of crime ; but it is a dread- 
ful thing when a man is so lost to all sense of shame, to all 
Idea of virtue and desire of reformation, as to have a conti- 
nual thirst for evil, without one intervening moment of con- 
sideration and remorse. Amidst the general disorder of so- 
ciety it is to b^ hoped there are some persons who mourn for 
the corruption which they cannot stem, and charity ll hopeth 
all things" even when it beholds a sinner in a furious career 
to destruction. 

The condition of the old world, however, is described as 
remediless, and sunk in universal atheism, with the solitary 
exception of a single family. Amidst all this moral dark- 
ness one star was found, whose example was calculated to 
recommend religion, and to excite in men some sorrow for 
their misdeeds. But though Noah was an eminent preacher 
of righeousness, and walked with God in all holy worship 
and obedience, he could not prevail in his attempts to reform 
an ungodly race. He continued, however, to persevere in 
the pious work, though he saw no good effects resulting from 
it. The patriarch had faith in Goo. and he knew that 
it was his duty to labour with unremitting zeal in the pro- 



32 SCRIPTURE BIOGRAPHY 

vince to which he was called, leaving the event to him from 
whom he had received his commission. 

Nothing can be more honourable than to stand, firm and 
singular in a time of general infidelity and corruption A 

man of unshaken principle, in the midst of a crooked and 
perverse generation, is a character both rare and beautiful. 
But though many may be disposed to admire, in expres=ion 
at least, the account of such a person, yet how few will be 
animated to imitate his example ! 

This, however, we are all called upon to do, even wuthin 
our respective stations and among our connections, how 
confined or few soever they may be. In the present state, 
vice will always have a predomin ting influence in society ; 
and corrupt principles and evil customs will be so prevalent 
as to require no ordinary strength of mind to keep us from 
being affected by the con ragion. What, then, is tha: man 
to do who would wish to preserve a good conscience, and 
to ensure to himself inward peace and everlasting happiness? 

He must maintain his integrity as firm as a rock of ada- 
mant, and be, if I may hazard. the expression, obstinately 
virtuous, neither deviating to the right-hand nor to the left, 
in compliance with the evil customs of the age in w r hich he 
lives. The advice of wisdom should ever be on the minds 
of youth : M My son, if sinners entice thee consent thou 
not."* Let the young adventurer consider the character of 
the party who endeavours to persuade him to any indul- 
gence, and then the nature and the consequence of the thing 
itself. He. may hereby be able to resist temptation, and, 
like the holy men of old, live unspotted in the midst of a 
corrupt generation. Noah was found faithful to his God 
when the whole world lay in wickedness. Like his ancestor 
Enoch he is said to have " walked with God," and, like 
him, he was eminently distinguished by the divine favour 
and protection. To such a man how afflicting must have 
been the encreasing infidelity and immorality of the age ! 
The pious and benevolent always feel a tender concern and 
grief for the moral as well as for the natural diseases of man- 
kind. It indicates little acquaintance with virtue and reli- 
gion, and little regard for the laws and honour of Gcd, 
when we can behold the spreading of vice and profaneness 
with indifference* The mere moralist will be concerned at 
these evils, from the regard which he has for regular order 

* ProT. i. 10. 



NOAH. 35 

and for the political good of society ; but the truly religi- 
ous character will be impressed with a deeper concern irom 
love to his God, and from an affectionate regard for his fel- 
low-creatures. A holv zeal will animate his mind, when 
he sees the institutes and commandments of the Almighty- 
set at nought ; and, as the Psalmist says, a rivers ol waters 
will run down his eyes, because men keep not God's law."* 

Noah was a man of this description, and to an unbeliev- 
ing and inconsiderate world he declared the whole counsel of 
God with fidelity. He did not conceal his divine commis- 
sion through fear, or pervert it from a regard to personal 
convenience or advantage ; but he protested with earnest- 
ness against the sins of his contemporaries, their idolatry, 
violence, debauchery, and injustice. His preaching, how- 
ever, and his example were alike inefficacious. The pa- 
tience of God was tried long, and his mercy spared a cor- 
rupt world for a great number of years. At length the di- 
vine justice is awakened. The abominations of mankind 
become too offensive to be borne with any longer, and there- 
fore the Lord is represented as saying, " I will destroy man, 
whom I have created, from the face of thj earth, both man, 
and beast, and the creeping thing, and the fowls of the air ; 
for it repenteth me that I have made them."* 

But before the fierce anger of the Lord goes forth, care 
must be taken that the righteous do not perish with the 
wicked. God will always remember those who put their 
trust in him, and in the midst of his judgments he will pro- 
vide a shelter for his obedient servants from the raging evil. 
In his love and in his mercy they shall be secure till the 
" calamity be overpast."! 

Having expressed his resol tion of destroying the whole 
race of sinners, except the family of Noah, he commands 
the patriarch to build " an ark for the saving of his house.":): 
At the same time he gives him directions of what wood, 
and fashion the vessel shall be formed. u Make thee an ark 
of gopher wood, rooms shalt thou make in the ark, and 
shalt pitch it within and without with pitch. And this is 
the fashion which thou shalt make it of : the length of the 
ark shall be three hundred cubits, the breadth of it fifty cu- 
bits, and the height of it thirty cubits. A window shalt 
thou make in the ark, and in* a cubit shalt thou make it 
above : and the door of the ark shalt thou set in the side 

* Ps. cxix. 136. j Gen. vi. 7. * Is. xxvi 20. 

E 



34 SCRIPTURE BIOGRAPHY. 

thereof: with lower, second and third stories shalt thou 
make it. And behold I, even I, do bring a flood of waters 
upon the earth, to destroy all flesh wherein is the breath of 
liie from under heaven ; and every thing that is in the earth 
shall die. But with thee will i establish rry covenant -, and 
thou shalt co e into the ark ; thou and thy sons and thy 
wife and thy sons wives with thee. And of every thing of 
all flesh two of every sort, shalt thou bring into the ark, to 
keep them alive with thee ; they shall be male and female, 
G> fowls after their kind, and of cattle after their kind, of 
every creeping thing of the earth after hi& kind, two of 
every sort shall come unto thee to keep them alive. And 
take thou unto thee of all food that is eaten, and thou shalt 
gather it to thee ; and it shall be food for thee and for 
them."* 

Noah was no way staggered at this extraordinary and ar- 
duous task, but instantly set about the performance of it ? 
knowing from whence he had received it, and that " the 
commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes ; 
the fear of the Lord is clean, enduring for ever, and that the 
judgments of the Lord are pure and righteous altogether."! 

H^ began this great work in the year of the world 1537, 
an 1 in the four hundred and eightieth year of his age. It 
took up one hundred and twenty years in building ; and 
hence some have objected to the truth of the story, on the 
ground that part of it at least, must have decayed before the 
finishing of the whole work. An answer to this is easy, 
for if the ark was made of cypress wood, it was as is allowed 
bv the best writers insensible of rottennesorage ;\. andinthe 
country about Babylon, where it is generally admitted the 
ark was built, cypress trees grew in great abundance. The 
pi'ch also which was used by Noah was of a quality very 
diff rent from that no v in use, being bittumen or fat clay, 
which is imp netrable by the worm or water.§ 

Allowing the cubit to be eighteen inches, it will make the 
ark to contain one million seven hundred and eighty-one 
thousand three hundred and forty-six cubical feet, or forty- 
two thousand four hundred and thirteen tons. The figure 
of this vast unweildy body was not like that of modem 
vessels, but a long square with a flat bottom, that it might b& 

* f^en ri. 14, passim f Ps. xix. 8, 9. 

± Plin. Na*. Hist lib. 16, cap. 40 Thucydides. lib. 2. p. &» 
$ Diad. Stylus, lib. 2< Plin. Jfyt. Hist.' 1. 3JL cap. 1£ 



NOAH. as 

less liable to be tossed or tumbled about by the violence of 
the ivinds and waves, and that it 'night fix firmjy u, on the 
land when the flood should be over. 

A great number of persons must necessarily have been 
employed in this prodigious work, the greatest part of whom 
perished in the flood. Tims many are externally engaged 
in promoting the interests of the church of God and serve 
in various respects to advance the purposes of divine provi- 
dence, without knowing what they are doing or having any 
desire to do good in their hearts. Manv will be found want- 
ing at the last day, who now enjoy the privilege of belonging 
to an apostolic church, and who acknow lege, in profession 
at least, their need of salvation by the merits of a Me- 
diator. 

The project of Noah, doubtless excited much observa- 
tion and various conjectures By the trifling and imperti- 
nent he was ridiculed as an old fool ; and b) those who pre- 
tended to some judgment and wisdom he was treated as a 
poor enthusiast, led away by the gloomy folU of supersti- 
tion. Some of his friends, perhaps, pitied his extravagance, and 
offered him their advice to renounce his laborious and ruin- 
ous enterprize; till finding all their remonstrances ineffectu- 
al, they left the dotard to his whim, and plunged into all the 
sinful courses of their companions* but stead} to his j ur- 
pose, and faithful to the divine order, Noah completed the 
ark, and covered it with thick cloths, or the skins of anin als 
fastened together in such a manner, that they might be easi- 
ly drawn close, in case of storms and cold weather, or be 
opened again whenever light or fresh air were wanted. 

Every thing being now prepared, all the animals destined 
for preservation move by instinct to take shelter in the ark 
from the impending storm. The power of God restrains 
the wild and ferocious tribes, and makes them tame and 
obedient ; while the timid and weak loose all sense of fear, 
and take their allotted places, as if conscious of the desola- 
tion which is coming upon the earth. But though the 
brute creation are eager to take refuge with Noah, mankind 
at large still continue deaf to his warnings, and are inatten- 
tive to their danger. The ark and its builder are but the 
objects of mirth and derision ; and we learn from divine 
authority, that on the very day when the patriarch and his 
family entered their new habitation the rest of mankind 
continued immersed in Bensual pleasures.* But their season 

* 2Hatt. ssiv. 3g, 






36 SCRIPTURE BIOGRAPHY. 

of festivy is short, judgment is at the door, and ready to 
sweep off the impious wretches in the midst of their mad 
career. The day of grace, though long, will have its close, 
and sinners may harden their hearts till there is no redemp- 
tion. No sooner is the valuable cargo safely shipped, and 
Noah with his wife and children entered, but the Almighty 
with a tender care is said to " shut them in."* All access 
to the only place of refuge is from that moment prevented. 
The clouds of heaven begin now to gather thick, and the 
darkened atmosphere to threaten a most tremendous storm. 
The winds howl with impetuous rage, and torrents of water 
are poured down from on high, while the fountains of the 
great deep are broken up from beneath. All is horror and 
desolation. They who yesterday scoffed at the righteous 
Noah, and carelessly viewed the miraculous procession of 
animals to the ark, began to lament their folly, and try to 
save themselves. Many climb about the sides of the ark, in 
hopes of being taken in, but are disregarded. Others hasten 
tot ie house-tops, which soon sink away beneath the under- 
mining waters. Some climb the loftiest trees, and others 
ascend the mighty hills, from whence they behold with 
painful anxiety the dismal wreck of nature, mixed with 
some degree o" hope that their own refuge is secure. But 
their confidence is vain. There is no abatement in the storm. 
Rushing cataracts soon sweep down the wretched fugitives 
from their last retreat, and the lofty mountains themselves 
yield to the devouring element, so that nothing can be seen 
but one mighty sheet of water, with the solitary ark floating 
upon it. tl Great and marvellous are thy works, Lord 
God Almighty ; just and true are thy ways, thou king of 
saints ! Who will not fear thee, O Lord, and glorify thy 
name ? for thy judgments are made manifest !"f 

The waters were at the highest in forty days, but the 
abatement was much slower ; for had the fall been rapid, 
the whole surface of the land would have exhibited the most 
forbidding aspect of inaccessible precipices, tremendous 
rocks, and unfathomable gulphs, instead of the present mo- 
derately varied scene of hill and valley. 

Noah entered the ark whith his wife, his three sons and 
their wives, on Saturday, November the twenty-seventh in 
the year of the world one thousand six hundred and fifty- 
seven, and either then, or more probably the day follow- 

| Gsn. vii. 15. t R ev. xv. 3, 4. 



NOAH. S? 

ing, the flood began. On Monday, the eleventh of July, 
when the days were at the Longest, and just before the en- 
trance of the sun into the tropical sign oi' cancer, 4W the tops 
of the mountains" became visible from the ark. At the 
end of forty days, or on Saturday the twentieth of August, 
Noah sent out the raven, a bird ^i quick scent, to discover 
whether the earth was become dry. But this bird, as the 
Hebrew text expresses it, spent its time " in going forth 
and returning :"* that is, finding nothing but water it ho- 
vered about the ark, till at length, according to the story of 
the Jews, observed some carcases upon the top of a moun- 
tain it returned no more. At the end of seven days, or on 
the next Saturday, Noah " sent forth a dove," being a bird 
of strong flight, loving to feed upon the ground, and to 
pick up seeds, and constantly returning to its customary rest 
from the greatest distances. But the dove not finding any 
footing returned again to the z.rsli. Noah waited v\ ith pa- 
tience yet seven days longer, and then sent out the same 
messenger, which returned the same evening with an olive 
branch in its mouth, and • thus the patriarch knew that the 
waters were gone off even from the vallies, though as the 
dove could not rest there, it was evident that the earth still 
remained cold and moist. At the end of seven da\ s he 
again sent forth the dove, which returned not unto him any 
more ; a plain proof thai it neither wanted food nor a nest 
to repose itself, so that Noan from hence understood that 
the earth was become both firm and fruitful. 

On the fifth day of the first month, or on the second day 
of October, one thousand six hundred and fifty-eight, Noah 
removed the covering of the ark, and ascended to the roof, 
that he might take a view of the land, which he found clear 
of the water, and affording a delightful prospect. The sen- 
sations of the patriarch after so long a confinement, and the 
experience of such a wonderful deliverance must have been 
peculiarly affecting and delightful. To look back upon 
the world, and reflect that in so short a space all his con- 
temporaries were swept away into eternity by the avenging 
hand of God ; to see the face of creation materially 
changed, and no trace of former scenes remaining, could 
not but produce a melting sentiment of concern in the mind 
of a benevolent man. riut then the idea of what he owed 
to the preserving goodness of the Almighty, which had 

* Gen. viii. 7. 



38 SCRIPTURE BIOGRAPHY. 

kept Him thus miraculously safe with his family in the midst 
of such an awful revolution soon converted his melancholy 
reflections into lively gratitude, and the sigh of tender recol- 
lection into a song of praise. Noah was not impatient to 
enter upon the possession of the -vorld, though he had been 
kept for so long a space in close confinement. As he had 
taken up his residence in the ark by divine appointment, so 
he waits for special direction ere he will venture to depart 
from it. Happy are those persons who commit their con- 
cerns into the hands of Providence, and who consult the will 
of the Almighty as their only director in the affairs of life ! 

On Sunday, November the twenty-seventh, God com- 
manded Noah to leave the ark, with ail the creatures that 
were therein. This disembarkation took up no less than 
six days, and the day following was set apart for rest and for 
the public worship of God trie preserver. Noah accordingly 
erected an altar to the Lord, and having taken of e very- 
clean beast, and every clean fowl, he made an offering 
thereon of thanksgiving for the deliverance he had expe- 
rienced, and of atonement to avert the wrath <A heaven for his 
own sins, and for those of the people wh were with him. 

Thus the rites of divine service, which had been observed 
before the flood, were renewed by Noah, and transmitted 
by him to his sons, that they and their posterity might follow 
the same till the revelation of the divine will should be more 
clearly revealed. This offering of the patriarch, proceed- 
ing from a thankful heart, was acceptable to God, who is 
therefore said to have " smelled a sweet savour," and to 
resolve with himself that " he would no more curse the 
ground for man's sake, although the imagination of man's 
heart be evil from his youth"* 

The same day the divine Majesty appeared unto Noah 
and his sons, assuring tnem of his power and protection, 
renewing the blessing bestowed upon Adam, with the grant 
of animal food for their subsistence, only with this excep- 
tion, that they should not eat the flesh with the blood 
thereof. The Almighty also forbids murder, as being con- 
trary to the commandment which he had given to man, to 
incre ise and multiply. And though he had formerly inter- 
posed his authority in the case of Cain the first murderer, 
prohibiting any one from killing him, yet h< now gives pow- 
er to men to enquire for blood, and to avenge that crime, by 

* Gen. vHL 



KOAH. 3$ 

putting the murderer to death. And as God gives laws to 
the first inhabitants of the new world, so he establishes his- 
covenant with them, thathe will no more bring in a devouring 
deluge upon it. This covenant he confirms by the sign of a 
rainbow in the clouds, occasioned by the reflection of the 
opposite sun-beams from the falling drops of rain. Some 
will have it, that there must have been a rainbow before the 
flood ; but the tenour of the declaration to Noah evidently 
implies that it was a phenomenon, which had not been seen 
by him in the antediluvian world. 

Had this object been familiar to Noah it would not have 
made much impression upon htm, whi reas the novelty and 
beauty of the bow, in the present instance, could not but 
affect his mind with gratitude and confidence. 

Noah, who was six hundred years old, when he came out 
of the ark, settled in the neighbourhood of the spot .vhere he 
landed, and enjoyed great tranquility for the space oi one 
hundred years, when an incident occurred which broke the 
peace of his family, and occasioned their dispersion. He 
appears to have been the firs>: who inrented presses to ex- 
tract the juice of the grape and to make wine ; but being 
ignorant of the intoxicating quality of the liquor, or else 
being old, and unable to bear its strength, he became drunk, 
and lay uncovered in his tent, fast asleep. Canaan the 
younger son of Ham, first discovered his grand-father in this 
indecent posture, and, having made himself merry with the 
spectacle, went and brought Ham thither, who, instead of 
reproving his son as he ought to have done, exposed the old 
man's in firm it) to his brothers Shem and Japheth. The in- 
firmities of the greatest saints and most eminent patriarchs 
are carefully noted in the sacred historv, to manifest that; 
thev were but men, and to shew what evil consequences re- 
sult from intemperance. 

This act of Noah produced a division in his family ; for 
when Ham published it with ridicule, his brothers Shem 
and Japheth piously took a garment, and going backwards, 
that they might not witness their father's weakness, they 
decently covered him therewith. When the patriarch was 
made acquainted with the different behaviour of his sons, 
he pronounced, in the spirit of prophecy, a curse upon Ca- 
naan, the son of Ham, and a blessing upon Shem and Ja- 
pheth. fc< And he said, Cursed be Canaan, a servant of ser- 
vants shall he be unto his brethren. And ho saidj Blessed 



40 SCRIPTURE BIOGRAPHY. 

be the Lord God of Shem ; and Canaan shall be his ser* 
vant. God shall enlarge Japheth, and he shall dwell in 
tents of Saern ; and Canaan shall be his servant."* 

T.nese predictions were exactly fulfilled, for the Canaanites 
became subject to the H ibrews, who descended from Shem, 
while the- respective descendants of Shem and Japheth lived 
together in harmony and peace. Shameful as the conduct 
of Noah was, considering his character and his age, yet. 
that of Ham deserved the severest censure. If we are bound 
to hide the failings of another, how much more are we 
called upon to draw a veil over the errors of our relations, 
and especially of those persons from whom we derive our ex- 
ist nee ? It is abominably unnatural to trifle with the im- 
perfections of our parents, and to bring the odium of man- 
kind upon their grey hairs. The conduct .of Ham is an 
awful lesson to youth, and ought to convince them that 
filial reverence is a duty immediately following that which 
they owe to their maker, and in which if they fail they can 
never expect his favour, either for themselves or their chil- 
dren. 

The modesty and tenderness of Shem and Japheth form a 
beautiful picture, which is a fine illustration of that powerful 
commandment, ". Honour thy father and thy mother, that 
thv days may be long in the land which the Lord thy God 
giveth thee."f 

Noah having attained the great age of nine hundred and 
fifty years gives up the ghost, not far, in all probability, 
from the place were the ark rested after the flood. Having 
fulfilled his part, and measured his appointed time, the fa- 
ther of the new world must give place to others, and enter 
into that rest which remaineth for the people of Gob. He 
was saved from the devouring flood by an ark of divine 
construction, but he experienced another salvation infinitely 
more important, through faith in the atonement of a me- 
diator. Of that atonement the ark was but a type, or, ac- 
cording to the Language of St. Peter, u The like figure 
whereunto even baptism doth also now save us (not the 
putting away the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good 
conscience towards God) by the resurrection of Jesus 
■Christ.'^ 

Awful as the contemplation of the deluge is, yet there is 
another revolution in prospect still more momentous and aw- 

* G?n, 'm. 25, 2$, 26. f Exod. XX 1% * iEp.iii. 21. 



NOAH. it 

ful. There shall not, indeed, be tin overwhelming flood of 
water upon the earth, butastream of devouring fire, which 
will burn up all the works of nature and of art. A sudden 
destruction shall come upon the workers of iniquity, and as 
it was in the days of Noah, so shall it be then : *• They were 
eating and drinking, marrying and given in marriage, until 
the day that Noah entered into the ark : and knew not until 
the flood came and took them all away: so shall also the 
coming of the son of man be."* infidelity and immo- 
rality will prevail to an extraordinary height in the latter 
days ; and though the prophetic signs will be clear and 
striking to considerate and religious minds, yet upon the 
generality of men they will have no effect. " Blessed are 
those servants, therefore, whom when the Lord cometh he 
shall find watching." When destruction shall come as a 
whirlwind, and vengeance shall be poured down from on 
high, they shall be safe, being sheltered in the ark of the divine 
mercy. Then cometh the judgment, when all the myste- 
rious ways of providence shall be cleared up, and every dis- 
pensation thereof be fully vindicated, to the confusion of the 
wicked and the glory and happiness of the righteous. 

That solemn scene ended, and old things being done* 
away, u all things shall become new." There shall be " new 
heavens, and a new earth," in which righteousness only 
shall dwell. " Peace shall flourish in that happy state ; mercy 
shall descend thereon as the dew, and righteousness spring 
out of the ground." No evil, either natural or moral, shall 
disfigure it, for " all shall know and obey the Lord, from the 
least to the greatest." The inhabitants of that world shall not 
labour in vain, nor bring forth in trouble ; for they are the 
seed of the blessed of the Lord [or of the Messiah] and their 
offspring with them. And it shall come to pass, saith the 
Lord, u that before they call I will answer ; and while 
they are yet speaking 1 will hear. The wolf and the lamb 
shall feed together ; and the lion shall eat straw like the bul- 
lock ; and dust shall be the serpent's meat. They shall 
not hurt, nor destroy in all my holy mountain, saith the 
Lord."f 

What a glorious prospect is here expanded to the view of 
the christian ! Is he apt to look back with a kind of regret up- 
on a paradise lost, through the weakness of our first pa- 
rents ? Pie turns with rapture to Contemplate a paradise be^' 

* Mi-h. xxiy. 33, 3?. f Is. lxv. 1A ^c 

F 



43 SCRIPTURE BIOGRAPHY, 

fore him infinitely more glorious, in which is the pure river 
of water of life, clear as chrystal, proceeding out of the 
throne of God and of the Lamb. In % * the midst of the street 
of it, and on either s^de of the river, there is the tree of life, 
bearing twelve manner of fruits and yielding her fruit eve- 
ry month : and the leaves of the tree are for the healing of 
nations. And there shall be no more curse j but the throne 
of God and of the Lamb shall be in it, and his servants 
shall serve hrm r and they shall see his face, and his name 
shall be in their foreheads. And there shall be no nighe 
there ; and they need no candle, neither light of the sun j 
for the Lord God giveth them light, and they shall reign for 
ever and ever."* 

If the christian looks back upon a world destroyed by wa- 
ter, and sees the ark preserving Noah and his family, with 
the various living creatures necessary to stock the new world, 
he admires the wonderful goodness of God blending itself 
with his judgments j and on viewing in prospect the last 
dreadful destruction of the earth, he rejoices that there is a 
salvation appointed for all who shall flee from the wrath to 
come, and an inheritance reserved for them which is incor- 
ruptible, undefined, and that fadeth not away. 

JThe covenant made with Noah is typical of that made 
with Christ for the preservation of his church : " For this 
is as the waters of Noah unto me, saith the Lord ; for as I 
have sworn that the waters of Noah should no more go over 
the earth ; so have I sworn that I would not be wroth with 
thee nor rebuke thee. For the mountains shall depart, and 
the hills be removed, but my kindness shall not depart from 
thee, neither shall the covenant of my peace be removed 
saith the Lord that hath mercy on thee." j 

It is an unspeakable blessing to be interested in this di- 
vine promise, and to be included in that covenant of grace 
to which it is given. To be baptised into communion with 
Christ's spiritual body, and to be renewed after his likeness 
in the disposition of our minds, is to made u heirs of the 
promise, children of God, and consequently inheritors of 
the kingdom of heaven." A mere outward profession of 
Christianity gives no man a claim to the promise, but will ra- 
ther serve to add to his condemnation. There was an un- 
righteous, idolatrous Ham in the ark, who inherited a curse 
instead of a blessing ; and the same will be the case with 

* Rev, xjui. 2, 3, 4, 5. f Is. liv. % 10. 



NOAH. 4S 

respect to the visible church of Christ. In the communion 
ot it there are numbers who are not united to the head, who 
fcnow nothing of real religion, are destitute of any pious 
feelings ; and who, when tried in the balances of th^ sanctu- 
ary vvill be found wanting. 

Let it be, therefore, our serious care and concern not to 
have 4 - the form of godliness" merely, but the u power of it 
also"* in our hearts, and manifested in our lives and con- 
versations. Noah walked with God in this manner, and 
had that rest, botn here and hereafter, which his name im- 
plied ; and hereby vve also must live in all holy obedience, 
in the midst of " a dark and corrupt generation, as lights of 
the world,"f if we would enter into that rest " which re> 
maineth for the people of God." J 

5 2 Tim. iii. 5. f Philip, u. 15. i Heb. iv. & 



9* SCRIPTURE BIOGRPHY. 

ABRAHAM. $g%^ 

Died hi the Tear of the World 2184, aged 175. 

OF the various memoirs scattered throughout the sacred 
history, not one is more richly varied with interesting 
circumstances, or is more instructive in all points, that of 
Jesus Christ excepted, than the account of Abraham. This 
illustrious patriarch stands eminently distinguished as an ex- 
ample of unshaken confidence in, and uniform obedience to, 
the Almighty. For this he is called " the Father of the 
Faithful,"-* and the " Friend of God ;"f distinctions so ex- 
alted, that nothing can be put in competition with them. 

He was the son of Terah, and the tenth from Noah, so 
that 2S there were ten generations from the creation. to the 
flood, there were likewise ten from the flood to Abraham. 
Though he was younger than Nahor and Haran, his breth- 
ren, yet the sacred historian places him before them, as 
having justly gained the pre-eminence by his virtues. He 
was bom at Ur of the Chaldees, a city lying between Nine- 
veh and Nisibis, in the country of Mesopotamia, in the year 
of the world 2009. 

Chaldea was at that time overrun with idolatry and super- 
stition, as it continued to be for many ages afterwards. The 
prevailing worship there was the celestial host, consisting of 
the sun, the moon, and the stars, to which a divine influ- 
ence was attributed ; and hence the vain science of astrolo- 
gy took its origin among the Chaldeans. 

Abram, for such was the name of the patriarch till it was 
altered by divine appointment, resided in his native coun- 
try with his father Terah seventy-live years, and then left it, 
in obedience to the divine commandment. The Jews re- 
late,, that Abram inveighed with so much zeal against the 
idolatrous custom of his countrymen in worshipping fire, 
that he was thrown into a burning fiery furnace, from 
whence he escaped unhurt. Let this b* as it may, the cha- 
racter of Abram was so acceptable to the Almighty, that in 
the year of the world 2083, he appeared unto him in a gra- 
cious manner, and commanded him to depart from his coun- 
try, and from his kindred, and from his father's house, to 
dwell in a strange land. Abram having communicated the 
heavenly mandate to his father Terah, the good old man re- 

* Rom. iy. ji. f James ii. 3. 



ABRAHAM. 43 

lying upon tK£ piety of his son, determined to quit his na- 
tive land, and with alacrity yielded to the sacred monition. 
41 And he took Abram, his son, and Lot, the son of* Haran, 
his son's son, and Sarai, his daughter-in-law, Abram's wife, 
and they went forth with them from Ur of the Chaldees to 
go into the land of Canaan : and they came to Haran and 
dwelt there. "# 

Though Nahor, the other son of Terah, is not mention- 
ed in this place, yet there can be no doubt but that he also 
went out of Chaldea with the rest of his family, for his 
posterity is noticed as afterwards being settled in Haran, and 
his grand-daughter Rebecka was married to Isaac, which is 
a proof that he had renounced idolatry. Thus Abram prov- 
ed the blessed instrument of converting his father and the 
whole family : an encouragement this to every pious child to 
persevere in the cause of righteousness, in spite of all op- 
position ; for how does he know what effects may result 
from his example, and what benefits he may render to his 
unbelieving friends through the good providence of God ? 

The age and infirmities of Terah would not admit of a 
very long and tedious journey, and therefore his dutiful 
children, in tender care and concern for him, built a city, to 
which they gave the name of Haran, or dCharran, in com- 
memoration of their brother. Here Terah oied, at the age of 
two hundred and five years, being the oldest of the postdi- 
luvians, except Job. 

The Almighty, who had great designs with respect to 
Abram, suffered him to remain with his family till the death 
of Terah, but then he commanded him to depart thence, and 
to go into the land of Canaan. " And he said unto him, Get 
thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy 
father's house, into a land that I shall shew thee ; and I will 
make of thee a great nation, and 1 will bless thee, and make 
thy name great ; and thou shalt be a blessing. And I will 
bless them that bless thee, and curse them that curse thee, 
and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed."! 

It required no ordinary degree of faith to obey this com- 
mandment, which was accompanied only by the promise of a 
blessing very remote and obscure. Flesh and blood naturally 
seek present ease and comfort. Where can a man experience 
satisfaction, or beblessed in alongtrainof desendantsso well 
as by being settled in the mids: of his friends and relations ? 

* Gen. xL 31. j Gen. xii. i, 2, 3. 



46 SCRIPTURE BIOGRAPHY. 

Natural reason would be apt to question whether the caB 
was not a delusion, sir.ce it enforced such hard conditions, 
and promised consequences so remote and improbable, It 
would ii ice wise present to the mind the most formidable 
evils in the way of this enterprise* It would represent 
the length of the journey, the perils with which it must ne- 
cessarily be attended, and the uncertain reception he would 
experience in a strange land. No doubt Abram had many 
dear relations in Haran, to part from whom, for ever, could 
not but be very distressing. His possessions also were con- 
siderable, and his habits and manner of life were in a great 
jneasur^ fixed, 3 o as to render that country most suitable for 
him. But he receives a command to tear himself from all 
these tender lies and advantages* He must leave a fair in- 
heritance, a pleasant estate, agreeable society, and affection- 
ate relatives, to go he knows not whither, exposed to dangers 
extremely formidable, in an advanced period of his life, 
and that upon a mere promise of a very distant good. He 
must go and seek a habitation among strangers, whose reli- 
gion was opposite to his own, and who were divided among 
themselves intoseveral tribes, often hostile to each other. All 
these and many other difficulties must have occurred to 
the mind of Abram, strengthened by every artifice of the 
great deceiver of mankind ; but the faith of the patriarch 
was superior to all sense of danger and the suggestions of 
the tempter. He believed in the divine promise, and he 
considered the commandment of God as indispensable. " By 
faith Abraham when he was called to go out into a place 
which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed, and 
he went out not knowing whither he went. 1 '* 

Faith in God must be implicit. When we are assured that 
the commandment is of divine authority, and when the path 
of duty is clearly and expliciteh laid down before us, no world- 
ly considerations, no enticements of iriends, nor any regard to 
personal convenience must be suffered to keep us, even for 
a moment, from following it He who takes God's word for 
his guide in life, will often meet with occasions to sacrifice 
present ease and advantage, rather than to deviate from the 
strait course which he has chosen. Father and mother, breth- 
ren and sisters, in short, every near and dear relation will be as 
nothing in the sight of that man when they stand between 
him and his duty to God. Should they endeavour to ira- 

* Heb. xi. 8. 



ABRAHAM. 4/ 

pede his progress in holiness, or to divert him from the 
course he hab adopted, he disregards them, being resolved to 
go to heaven alone, rather than miss the great prize of hi^h 
calling which he has in view. We are all sojourners, like 
Abraham, being called from a dark and idolatrous world 
to go into a land of promise. Faith only can support us ire 
this pilgrimage, and that will enable us to surmount every 
difficulty, to renounce every enjoyment, and to brave all op- 
position, and will, at last, bring us to the possession of that 
rest which remaineth for the people of God. 

No sooner did Abram receive the divine command but 
he obeyed it In mere worldly considerations, and in ordi- 
iiarv concerns of life, prudence may dictate delay, and the 
propriety of consulting friendly advice ; but when the call is 
evidently from above, when the direction is clearly from 
God, to be dilatory is to be disobedient. Faith is prompt 
and even swift in compliance, rising at once to follow the 
command, and hastening, as it were, on eagle's wings to 
execute the v, ill of the Almighty. " So Abram departed 
as the Lord had spoken unto him ; and Lot went with him, 
and Abram was seventy and five years old when he departed 
out of Haran. And Abram took Sarai, his wife, and Lot, 
his brother's son, and all the substance that they had ga- 
thered, and the souls that they had gotten in Haran, and 
they went forth to go into the land of Canaan, and into the 
land of Canaan they came."* 

This journey was above three hundred miles in length, 
and was rendered greatly embarrassing by dangerous des- 
erts, high mountains, and thick forests ; but all these diffi- 
culties were nothing to the intrepid mind of the patriarch, 
who, steady to his object and firm in his reliance upon God, 
entered the land of promise, " and sojourned there as in a 
strange country. "f 

On entering Canaan he pitched his tent in Shechem, and 
there he erected an altar unto the Lord. Here God appear- 
ed again unto Abram, and informed him that this was the 
land which his posterity should possess ; a strange declara- 
tion to a man of his great age, but the patriarch " believed 
in God, and it was accounted unto him for righteousness." 

Abram did not continue long in Shechem, but removed his 
tent from place to place, erecting in every new situation an 
altar unto the Lord. Religion must always be in exercise, 

• Gen. xxi. 4, 5, f Heb. xi. 9. 



4S SCRIPTURE BIOGRAPHY. 

and no good can be expected hi any change of circumstance 
where the direction of heaven has not been sought, and in 
which the blessing of the Almighty is not supplicated. The 
patriarch encreased in worldly possessions, notwithstanding 
his frequent removals, for the favour of the Lord accompa- 
nied him whithersoever he went. 

But though the good man enjoys the blessing of heaven, 
he is not exempted from trials. These he must partake with 
the rest of the world, for evil is the common lot of man. — 
A grievous famine arose in the land of Canaan, which impel- 
led Abram to seek an asylum in Egypt ; but being appre- 
hensive that the beauty of Sarai his wife would attract the 
notice and affections of the king, and that his life would in 
consequence be endangered, he thus advised her : " Say, I 
pray thee, that thou art my sister, that it may be well 
with me for thy sake; and my soul shall live because of 
thee." 1 * The expedient was mean, and evinced a want of 
confidence in that power which had hitherto so signally pre- 
served him ; but Abram, it seems, took this journey without 
consulting the divine will ; and he was suffered both to fall 
from his obedience, and to experience the folly of trusting 
to his own devices. As he feared so it happened : Phara- 
oh, king of Egypt, hearing of the beauty of the stranger's 
sister, caused her to be brought to his palace. The situation 
of Abram must have been very distressing, even amidst the 
distinctions and presents which, as the brother of Sarai, 
were bestowed upon him. To be robbed of his beloved 
partner for ever in a strange land, and to reflect that she was 
in the possession of another, could not but produce the most 
agonizing sensations in his mind. But the Almighty still 
watched over his servant, and visited Pharaoh's house with 
such unusual plagues, that he consulted his priests and ma- 
gicians on the occasion, who informed him (as Josephus re- 
lates,) that it was for taking another man's wife, and that too 
of a stranger who had sought refuge in his dominions. — 
The Egyptian king, shocked at the information, for a sense 
of virtue and hospitality prevailed among these people, 
though they were idolaters, " called Abram, and said, What 
is this that thou hast done unto me ? Why didst thou not 
tell me that she was thy wife ? Why saidst thou she is my 
sister ? So I might have taken her unto me to wife ? Now, 
therefore, behold thy wife, take her, and go thy way. And 

* Gen. xii. 13. 



ABRAHAM. 49 

Pharaoh commanded his men concerning him : and they 
sent him away, and his wife, and all that he had." 

The conduct of the Egyptian monarch deserves our ad- 
miration. Possessed of absolute power, he might have re- 
tained the wife of Abram without any fear of opposition, or 
of rendering himself liable to censure. The man was a 
stranger, and an enemy to the religion of the country, con- 
sequently obnoxious to the priests ; yet notwithstanding 
these pleas of excuse, which a man in his station might have 
alleged for indulging his criminal passion, Pharaoh rejects 
them, and seems evidently to have viewed the crime of adul- 
tery with horror. His intention was to have married Sarai, 
but when he discovered that she was the wife of another, 
he restored her to him with sacred fidelity, bestowing on 
him at the same time, considerable presents. The language 
of Pharaoh is keen, touching, and dignified. He remon- 
strates with the patriarch upon the danger into which his 
equivocation had likely to have involved all parties, and 
Abram, affected probably with remorse and gratitude, was 
respectfully silent. 

When the famine was over in the land of Canaan, the 
patriarch returned thither abundantly encreased in riches ; 
but his heart was above being set upon earthly possessions* 
He measured his steps unto the place where his tent had 
been at the beginning, between Bethel and Hai, unto the 
place of the altar which he had made there at the first : and 
there Abram " called on the name of the Lord." 

After a considerable absence from a favourite spot, how 
delightful is it to return thither again in peace and prosperi- 
ty ! The sight of familiar scenes endeared to the heart by 
former joys and friendly intercourse, is peculiarly cheering, 
i\nd gives renewed health, vigour, and even youth. The 
mind is busy in retracing former incidents, the eye is grati- 
fied in beholding what it was wont to admire in early life, 
and all the faculties seem to undergo a regeneration. But 
how much more pleasant and exhilirating is the contempla- 
tion of scenes where we have experienced eminent instan- 
ces of providential kindness where we have received to- 
kens of the divine favour ; where we have been blessed 
by sensible manifestations of divine love ; and where we 
have held sweet intercourse with the God of our mercies. 
The pslamist felt this when he so pathetically breathed forth 
this pious exclamation ; " How amiable are thy tabernacles, 
O Lord of Hosts ! fcfy^oul Jpngeth, yea, even fainteth f Q * 



m SCRIPTURE BIOGRAPHY 

the courts of the Lord ; my heart and my flesh crieth out 
for the living God."* 

Such, no doubt, was the feeling of Abram a9 he journey- 
ed on towards fcSethel, the house of God, wh^re he had re- 
ceived the confirmation oi the divine promise, and had ex- 
prienced the favour of God in the most eminent manner. 

At length he descries the sacred spot, and presses for- 
ward with alacrity to the altar which he had erected before 
his exile. What a beautiful picture is here exhibited to our 
view ! The venerable patriarch, surrounded by his relations 
and his domestics, stands before the holy altar, on which he 
offers a sacrifice of gratitude, and in the fervour of his heart 
calls upon the name of the Lord. He proclaims aloud his 
thanks to the God of heaven, the self-existent Jehovah, by 
whom he was called, and^ in whom he trusted 

The next circumstance in the life of Abram sets him be- 
fore us in the most amiable light. Above the narrow policy 
which marks the character of too many persons who have 
young relations under their care, the patriarch treats his 
nephew Lot as an equal and a brother. The young man ap- 
pears to have been an entire dependant upon the protection 
©f his uncle ; but the generous Abram does not place him, 
as many would have done, in the capacity of a domestic. — — 
He gives him an opportunity to set up a household for him- 
self, and Lot partakes of the blessing which descended up- 
on the family of Abram, increasing in flocks and herds. In a 
short time, however, this enlargement of their stock pro- 
duced jealousies and dissensions ; not indeed, on the part of 
the uncle or nephew, but their servants. " There was a strife 
be t ween the herd men of Abram's cattle and the herdmen of 
Lots's cattle."f Feuds among servants frequently disturb 
the tranquillity of their masters, and occasion differences be- 
tween friends. Abram sagaciously saw that these jarring dis- 
cords between his people and those of Lot would in- 
crease more and more, in proportion to the enlargement of 
their possessions ; and that at last some unpleasant misun- 
derstanding might thereby tske place between him and his 
nephew. To prevent this, he prudently formed the resolution 
of separating from Lot ; but in the most kind and generous 
manner proposed the matter to his nephew. " And Abram 
said unto Lot, let there be no strife, I pray thee, between me 
and thee, and between my herdmen and thy herdmen, fiy 

* Gen. xfih 7, \ Ps. lxxxiv, i 



ABRAHAM. 61 

be brethren. Is not the whole land he fore thee ? Sepa- 
rate thyself, I pray thee, from me ; if thou wilt cake the feft 
hand then I will go to the right ; or if thou depart to the 
right hand then i will go to the left." 

No language car. do justice to the nohle conduct of Ahram 
in this instance. Though Lot had acquired all his property 
under the protection and through the encouragement of his 
uncle, the venerable man readily gave to him the free choice 
of any part of the country around them to settle in, forego- 
ing his own particular advantage, or any partiality which 
he himself might have to one spot more than another, in 
order to preserve a good understanding between them. lie 
mighl with justice have asserted his own claim to the first 
choice ; he might from his age, from his authority, from his 
power, and from the obligations under which Lot lay to 
him, have selected that part of the land which was most 
pleasing or convenient to himself, but with a forbearance 
that was truly magnanimous, he renounced all such preten- 
sions for the sake of peace* How different was the behavi- 
our of the patriarch from that of mankind in general ! Men 
who bear the fairest characters, and are distinguished by 
being just, disinterested, and even generous, are yet very 
unwilling to yield up a particle of their right, or a single iota 
of what they consider as th«ir due, to a neighbour, though 
the matter may be of no moment in itself or advantage to 
them. Hence we see so many dissensions and fierce con- 
tests in the world at large, and in private families, all 
which might be easily prevented by a little yielding in the 
outset, and by a generous spirit of forbearance on tke 
part of the elder claimant to the warm and inconsiderate 
pretensions of the young competitor. Had Abram been of 
a tenacious, irascible temper, unbending, and rigidly just, 
he would have upbraided the conduct of Lot, who owed his 
all to him, he would have called him to an account for the 
obligations he was und'.<r ; and he might, with the power 
he possessed, have deemed himself warranted in chastising 
the servants of his nephew, but he rejected every such mea- 
sure, and calmlv treated Lot as his equal and his brother. — 
The elder yields to the younger, the powerful gives way to 
the weaker, and the uncle and guardian of Lot. instead of 
dictating to his nephew and ward, gives him the choice of 
all the land, promising to take what the other should leave. 
The conduct of Abram was that of an enlightened 



■H SCRIPTURE BIOGftAPHY. 

mind ; that of Lot was mercenary and ungrateful. No 
sooner did his uncle make him this generous oiler, than he 
lifted up his eyes with inquisitive eagerness to choose that 
part of the country which was the most fertile and well wa- 
tered. The generosity of Abram ought to have made an 
impression of gratitude upon his heart, and have produced 
correspondent expressions of disinterested acknowlege- 
ment by way of return. Bur we read not any thing of the 
kind, only that Lot " lifted up his eyes and beheld all the 
plain of Jordan, that it was well watered every where, be- 
fore the Lord destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah, even as the 
garden of the Lord, like the land of Egypt, as thou comest 
unto Zoar. Then Lot chose him all the plain of Jordan ; 
sand Lot journeyed east I and they separated themselves the 
tone from the other.*'* 

Lot had ho regard to the conveniency of his uncle, but 
was covetous to possess that part of the country which was 
the most desirable. Avarice in all is a mean, narrow, and 
ungrateful vice, but in young persons it is particularly 
odious, arid indicates a sordid spirit, little calculated for 
noble ends. Lot never considered the moral character of 
the neighbourhood in which he was desirous to dwell ; but, 
provided worldly advantages were to be obtained there, .he 
had no concern about the bad society with whom he must ne- 
cessarily associate himself to obtain them. How careful ought 
young persons to be, at their outset in life, to choose proper 
situations, and to form good connections ! What are all the 
advantages of wealth when purchased at the expense of a 
good conscience ! How can a person who lives daily 
amidst corruption and wickedness, remain wholly unconta- 
minated by evil example, especially when the entrance into 
that sort of association has been the result of his own choice, 
without consulting the advice of friends, or praying for the 
protection of Heaven ! 

Lot suffered severely enough by his covetous and un- 
grateful choice, but Abram, by leaving the direction of his 
affairs in the hand of the Lord, experienced fresh blessings, 
and a renewal of the promise. When Lot was departed 
from him, u God said unto Abram, lift up now thine eyes, 
and look from the place where thou art ; northward, and 
Southward, and eastward, and westward ; for all the land 
Which thouseestto thee will I give it, and to thy seed forever* 

*G e n. xiii. 10, It 



ABRAHAM. 55 

And I will make thy seed as the dust of the earth ; so that if 
a man can number the dust of the earth, then shall thy seed 
also be numbered. Arise, walk through the land in the 
length of it and in the breadth of it ; for 1 will give it unto 
thee." 

While Abram dwelt in peace, enjoyed the favour of 
God in rhe plains of Mamre, Lot, bv his situation, was ex- 
posed to all the horrors of war. Certain kings confederated 
against those of Sodom and Gomorrah, with their allies, 
and defeated them, after a hard battle, in the vale of Siddun. 
The victors then plundered the cities where Lot dwelt, and 
took him captive with all his household. When the news 
of his nepew's misfortunes reached the ears of Abram, the 
good and compassionate old man forgot his indiscretion and 
ingratitude, and alive only to his distress, determined to un- 
dertake his rescue. He arms his servants to the number of 
three hundred and eighteen, and calling in the assistance of 
his neighbours Aner, Eshcol, and Mamre, he hastens with 
all the ardour of a Veteran soldier in quest of the marauders. 
Can we behold the venerable warrior with any other senti- 
ment than that *of the most elevated admiration ! How 
noble and generous is his motive for this enterprize ? No 
sordid avarice, no rapacious ambition, no love of ostenta- 
tion, no desire of popular applause, prompt him to the ex- 
ercise of arms. He engages in a war merely as the friend of 
the afflicted and the avenger of the oppressed. He feels the 
most compassionate tenderness for his brother's son, and his 
soul is full of energy to deliver him from the tyrant hand of 
the conqueror. Yet with what prudence and skill does he 
manage this important expedition ! He rushes not hastily 
like an untamed horse, into the battle, but disposes his 
forces with so much order, as to fall upon the enemy when 
off their guard, by which means he not only insures an easy 
victory, but prevents them from slaying their prisoners ; 
an expedient not unusual on such occasions. 

Having recovered Lot and all the captives, together with 
the spoil, Abram returns in triumphant satisfaction. On 
the way he is met by the king of Sodom, who gratefully 
offers him the whole of the property taken from the enemy. 
But Abram with a spirit of noble generosity unparalleled 
in history, refuses to accept a single article. His language, 
in reply to the offer of the king of Sodom, is most solemn 
and devout j " I have lifted up mine banc! (says he) unto 



Si SCRIPTURE BIOGRAPHY- 

the Lord the most high God, the possessor of heaven and 
«arth, that I will not take from a thread even to a shoe- 
iatehet, and that I will not take any thing that is thine, lest 
thou shouldst say I have made Abram rich ; save only that 
which the young men have eaten, and the portion of the 
men which went out vvith me, Aner, Eshcol, and Mamre ^ 
let them take their portion *** 

The stipulation on the behalf of his confederates was 
strictly just^ for though Abram might properly yield his 
own right, he could not properly give up that of others. But 
before he made this generous concession, he gave a present 
to Melchizedeck, king of Salem, even u the tithes of all."} 
Who this extraordinary personage was cannot be determined, 
as tne scripture account of him is brief and obscure. The 
Jews unanimously afHrm that he was -Shem, the son of 
Noan, while ethers think that he was the son of Peleg„ 
Tne scripture barely informs us that he was king of Salem, 
and priest of the most nigh God. It is certain that Abram, 
treated him with the greatest veneration, and there can be no 
doubt but that a previous intimacy had subsisted between 
these two excellent men. The blessing which Melchizedeck 
pronounced upon the patriarch is striking and dignified : 
few Blessed be Abram, of the most high Go©, possessor of 
heaven and earth. And blessed be the most high God, 
which hath delivered thine enemies into thine hand." 

After thus bursting upon our view as the sun from be- 
"hind a cloud, Melchezideck as suddenly retires, and we read 
no- more of him, except in an allusion to his character as a 
tyi)a of the Messiah both by David and St. Paul : the psalmist 
expressly declares that he represented the Saviour ; " The 
I*© rd hath sworn and will not repent ; thou art a priest for 
ever after the order of Melchizedeck ;" and the apostle 
quotes this passage- to the same purpose, carrying on the 
parallel at a greater length, j Melchezideck was the priest of 
the most high God, so was Christ. His name in Hebrew 
signifies king of righteousness, which is also the distingu ishing 
title of out Saviour. He was king of Salem, that is, king of 
peace ; which is also the express character of Christ, at whose 
birth peace was proclaimed from heaven, and whose dying 
Request to his followers was peace. The pedigree of Melchi- 
zedeck is not known, and who can declare the generation 

* Gen. xiv. 22, 23, 24 f Ps. ex. 4. 

$ Heb. v. 6. andvii. j 7 &c 



ABRAHAM, 55 

*f the Messiah, whose goings forth have been from of old* 
even from everlasting ? Melehizedeck brought toi th bread 
and wine to refresh Abram and his followers, at the delivery 
of which he pronounced a most solmen benediction. The 
Redeemer of the world instituiedthesacranentof theLotd's 
Sapper, consisting oi bread and wine, as the s> mbois oi his 
body and blood, tor the support ot his servants in their spi- 
ritual warfare, and he accompanies the same with a divine 
blessing. 

We return again to Abram, who, soon after this transac- 
tion, was favoured with another heavenly vision, in which, 
the Lord said to him, " Fear not Abram, I am thy shicld ? 
and tfr exceeding great reward." 

To this gracious declaration the patriarch returned a com- 
plaint in these words: ^ Lord God what wilt thou give 
me, seeing I go childless, and the steward of my house is 
this Eliezer of Damascus V Abram had received promise 
upon promise of a numerous progeny that should inherit 
the land in which he dwelt. No appearance indicated the 
fulfilment of the promise, and he tound both himself and his 
wife advancing still farther into old age. That he should have 
some occasional seasons of doubt and fear is not therefore to- 
be wondered at ; on the contrary, it is to be admired that his 
faith in the promise remained so firm and constant as it did. 
The Almighty, not at all displeased at the complaint of his 
servant, repeated the promise again that he should have an 
heir, and Abram believed in the Lord, who counted it to him 
for righteousness. Still far" her to encourage him, God en- 
tered into a solemn covenant with the patriarch in this 
manner : tk He said unto him, Take me an heifer of three 
years old, and a she-goat of three years old, and a ram of 
three years old, and a turtle-dove and a young pigeon. And 
he took unto hrm all these, and divided them in the midst, 
and laid each piece one against another ; but the birds di- 
vided he not And when the fowls came down upon the 
carcases Abram drove them away. And when the sun was 
going down a deep sleep fell upon Abram ; and lo an horror 
<of great darkness fell upon him" 

The patriarch having made his sacrifice according to the 
divine appointment early in the day, waited in humble ex- 
pectation for the manifestation of the divine presence. He 
continued at the altar guarding the sacred victims till the 
setting in of the evening, waiting with patience till the pre^ 



56 SCRIPTURE BIOGRAPHY. 

sence of God should come, and watching with pious care that 
his offering might not be polluted. When the sun declined 
the eye- lids of Ahram grew heavy, and were pressed down, 
by a supernatural impulse. He fell into a deep sleep, and a 
horror of great darkness came upon him. The visitations 
of the Almighty are always awful, even those of love and 
mercy ; how tremendous must they be, therefore, when 
their end is to arraign, judge, and condemn the sinner ! In 
this mysterious trance the Almighty revealed unto Abram 
the future history of his family for the space of four hundred 
years, their oppressed condition in Egypt, and their final 
settlement in the land where he then dwelt. At the same 
time the Lord declared unto Abram that lt he should go ta 
his fathers in peace, and be buried in a good eld age."* 

But though the promise of an heir was thus repeated, and 
solemnly ratified by a covenant, yet the performance must 
be further delayed. Tiie faith of the patriarch must un- 
dergo a longer trial, that it may come forth as pure gold 
out of the fire. Sarai, however, betrays her impatience, and 
abandoning all hopes of bearing children herself, she is de- 
sirous of adopting any means to procure a heir for her hus- 
band. For this purpose she proposes to him to take her 
handmaid Hagar as a subordinate or secondary wife, a mea- 
sure not uncommon in those times, though in the case of 
Ahram it was absolutely unlawful, as implying a distrust of 
God, and introducing a shameful practice into his family. 
Abram, however, complied with the advice of his wife, and 
the event answered her wish. Hagar conceived in consequence 
of which she became vain and impertinent, while Sarai, peev- 
ish and resentful, made a serious complaint to her husband. 
Abram, hurt at the conduct of Hagar, and stirred up by 
the importunity of Sarai, gave the servant up to the autho- 
rity of her mistress, who exercised it with so much severity 
that the poor handmaid fled into the wilderness, with an in- 
tent, probably, of seeking her native country. She could, 
not, however, in her condition, go far, but rested herself by 
a fountain of water in the way of Shur. Here the angel of 
the Lord appeared unto the fugitive, and exhorted her to 
return to her mistress, adding a cheering promise, that the 
child which she bore should be the father of many nations. 
Hagar accordinglv went back, and was obedient unto Sarai, 
till in due time she brought forth a son to Abram, who gave 

* Gen. xv. 15, 



ABRAHAM. tf 

him the same name which was mentioned by the angel in 
the wilderness : u Thou shalt call his name Ishmael., be- 
cause the Lord hath heard thy affliction. And he will be a 
wild man ; his hand will be against every man, and every 
man's hand against him ; and he shall dwell in the presence 
of all his brethren."* 

This elder son of Abram was the founder of the Arabian 
nation, and in every respect has the prediction bet n fulfilled, 
even to the character of that wonderful people in the present 
day, at the distance of three thousand years. The Arabs 
have been ever a wild and unsettled people, roving about 
their extensive deserts as suits their convenience ; always 
opposed to, and at enmity with surrounding nations, yet 
never losing their independence. Neither the coi quering 
Mede, the Grecian, nor the Roman, were ever able to 
subdue these hardy sons of the desert. In vain ruve the 
Turks assayed to bring them into subjection, though pro- 
fessing the same religion with themselves. They still re- 
main the uncontrouled masters of their native wiles, u their 
hand is against every man, and every man's hand is against 
them : and they dwell in the presence of all their brethren." 

For some years after the birth of Ishmael, which was in 
the year of the world 2094*, no particulars occur in the life 
of Abram. The next circumstance recorded of the patri- 
ar ch is of great importance, being the prelude to the fulfil- 
ment of that promise on which he had built his faith for so 
long a period. When he w r as ninety years old and nine, ano- 
ther manifestation of the divine promise was made unto 
him, the covenant was renewed, the promise confirmed, and 
by way of ratifying it in the most solemn manner, the rite 
of circumcision was instituted. On this great occasion his 
name was altered from Abram unto Abraham, which sig- 
nifies u the father of many nations." The patriarch still re- 
tained his faith unshaken, and notwithstanding the strangeness 
of the command, and the painfulness of the operation, he 
submitted with readiness, and was circumcised, " he and 
all the males of his house, as God had said unto him." 

This rite was an outward and visible sign of an inward 
and spiritual grace, agreeable to the command of Moses to 
the Israelites, to u circumcise the foreskins of their hearts, 
and to be no more stiff-necked. "f It signified an inward 
and a spiritual conformity to the whole law, by cutting off all 

*Gcn. xvi. 11, 12. fDeut. x. 16. 

H 



t* SCRIPTURE BIOGRAPHY. 

the corruptions of the flesh. Since the coming of Christy 
indeed, it has given way to a purer institution, even baptism ,- 
Jorasthe promisee! Saviour hath appeared, and put away 
sin by the sacrifice of himself, there remains no occasion for 
rites and ceremonies which had that sacrifice as the object of 
representation. But circumcision is still retained by the 
posterity of Abraham, both in the line of Ishmael and of 
Isaac, by which they are distinguished from other nations, 
and are consequently kept as standing monuments of the 
truth of divine revelation. 

? At this time the name of Sarai was changed to Sarah, sig- 
nifying a great princess, and Abraham was promised a son 
by her, of whom the Messiah should come, or, in the lan- 
guage of holy writ, "■ in whom all the families of the earth 
should be blessed." 

The next incident in the life of the patriarch presents a 
beautiiul picture of ancient times, when refinement and 
luxury had not contaminated the manners of men, and af~ 
lecied politeness had not superceded genuine hospitality. — 
In the heat oi a summer's day, as Abraham sat in the door 
of his tent, three persons, apparently wayfaring men, drew 
in sight on which the good man eagerly ran towards them, 
notwithstanding his age, and earnestly entreated them to 
partake of some refreshment. The strangers readily ac- 
cepted the invitation, and seated themselves beneath the 
spreading branches of a tree, while Abraham busied himself 
in providing a suitable repast for them. u He hastened into 
the tent unto Sarah, and said, Make read} quickly three 
measures of fine meal, knead it, and make cakes upon the 
hearth. And Abraham ran unto the herd, and fetched a 
calf, tender and good, and gave it unto a young man, and he 
hastened to dress it. And he took butter, and milk, and the 
calf which he had dressed, and he set it before them ; and 
.he stood by them under the tree, and they did eat."* 

These persons were certainly unknown to Abraham ; he 
was ignorant of their quality, their country, and their des- 
tination ; yet his behaviour to them was as respectful as i£ 
they had been attended by a pompous retinue, or had sent a 
messenger to him before-hand announcing their names, and 
their intention of paying him a visit. Abraham attended 
only to the circumstance before him. He beheld three so- 
journers oppressed with heat, and knew that refreshment 

* Gen. xyiij. 6, 



ABRAHAM. s*> 

and rest were, to persons of thar description, peculiarly ac- 
ceptable. With a friendly and open heart, there-lore, he 
hastened towards them, and pressed their acceptance ol what 
his tents could afford. His conduct at table was also highly 
respectful ; he stood beside them under the tree, ready to 
see that they wanted for nothing, and to furnish whatsoever 
might be necessary. What a lovely and instructive picture 
is this, and with what propriety did the apostle adduce this 
circumstance as an encouragement to a like practice : u lie 
not forgetful to entertain strangers, for thereby some hav e 
entertained angel* unawares."* This ignorance of their 
rank and errand rendered the behaviour of Abraham meri- 
torious, because no interest could have acted as a motive 
upon his mind to the exercise of hospitality. 

The principal of the three, while they sat at the table, ad- 
dressed himself unto Abraham, and asked for his wife, and 
being answered that she was in the tent, he assumed his high 
character, and said, " I will certainly return unto thee ac- 
cording to the time of lite, and lo ! Sarah thy wife shall have 
a son." Sarah, who though she kept herself concealed from 
view, could not withhold her curiosity, listened to this con- 
versation from the tent door, which was behind them, and 
on hearing this promise of a child, her incredulity produced 
a contemptuous laugh. She thought herself secure from 
observation, but Omniscience marked not only the outward 
gesture, but the sentiment which excited it, and the Lord 
said unto Abraham, tw Wherefore did Sarah laugh, saying, 
shall I of a surety bear a child which am old ? Is any thing 
too hard lor the Lord i" The woman, hurt at being dis- 
covered, had the foll\ to deny the fact, saying, " I laughed 
not ;" though she ought to have known that he who exposed 
her could not but be divine. The Lord gravely answer* d t 
u Nay, but thou didst laugh," and then left her to the re- 
proof of her own conscience, for, it is added, that on being 
discovered u she was afraid." 

These extraordinary personages having risen from table 
went towards Sodom, and their venerable host accompanied 
them part of the way. He who bore the chief rank, and is 
eminently in other places stiled the angel of the Lord and 
Jehovah communicated unto Abraham his design of de- 
stroying the inhabitants of Sodom and Gomorrah, on ac- 
count of their sin, which was very grievous. While the othe« 

* lleb. xiii. «. 



m SCRIPTURE BIOGRAPHY. 

two went thither to execute the divine vengeance, this celes* 
tial being, or deity in human form, stood and communed 
with Abraham, who being filled with compassion for his fel- 
low-creatures, and no doubt having in his mind the situation 
of his nephew Lot with his family, drew near, seemingly 
with an eager yet fearful anxiety to plead with Jehovah on 
behalf of the devoted cities. The Lord attended compassion- 
ately to the importunity of his servant, who put this question 
to him, vt Peradventure there be fifty righteous within the 
city ; wilt thou also destroy and not spare the place for the 
fifty righteous that are therein ? That be far from thee to do 
after this manner, to slay the righteous with the wicked ; 
and that the righteous should be as the -wicked, that be far 
from thee* Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right V* 
The Lord graciously condescended to accept the mediation 
of Abraham, and promised that if he found that number in 
Sodom he would spare the whole for their sakes. Abraham, 
encouraged by the goodness of the Lord, proceeded to bring 
the number by degrees down as low as ten, and he u said, 
I will not destroy it for ten's sake." Here the patriarch 
stopped, probably awed by the consideration that he had 
ventured as far as sinful man should do in pleading with the 
Almighty ; and " when the Lord had ceased to commune 
with Abraham, he went his way, and Abraham returned 
linto nis own place." 

In the meantime the other angels advanced towards Sodom, 
where thev arrived in the evening, and Lot on seeing them 
exercised towards them the same kind of hospitality which 
they had experienced from his uncle. But the men of So- 
dom, who were evil in the extreme, both old and young, 
beset the house, demanding of Lot to deliver up his guests. 
The good man regarded the rights of hospitality as too sa- 
cred to comply with their abominable demand ; and his 
refusal provoked them to attempt violence to attain their 
end. In this exigence the angels drtw Lot into the house, 
and smote the men that were at the door with blindness. 
The heavenly visitors then commanded Lot to hasten with 
his family directly from the city, which was devoted to in- 
stant destruction* 

In the morning Lot departed with his wife and two 
daughters, and, by his intercession, the Lord spared the 
neighbouring city of Zoar, and thither he escaped, but his 
■Hfe, for looking back contrary to the divine prohibition, 
Was turned into a pillar of salt. When Lot was placed iri 



ABRAHAM. Gl 

safety, then came down the fierce wrath of heaven in a de- 
luge of fire upon the other cities of the plain ; and they 
were wholly destroyed, with all that grew upon the ground. 
The expression of the sacred historian, thai the u Lord re- 
membered Abraham, and sent Lot out of the midst of the 
overthrow," implies, that it was to him that he owed his 
preservation ; so valuable and important it is to be related to 
the righteous, such a connection often proving the means of 
saving a soul. We have also here a proof that the forbear-" 
ance of the Almighty is frequently extended towards a sinful 
nation on account of the righteous that are therein. His 
servants are as the salt of the earth, who preserve the 
whole from destruction, and avert by their prayers and in- 
tercessions, the vengeance of divine justice upon a guilty 
land. 

But it is time to return to Abraham. After he had beheld 
the fearful overthrow of the cities of the plain, he withdrew 
from that unpleasant and unwholesome part of the country, 
and journeyed to the south-west of Canaan, between Kadesh 
and Shur, near the wilderness, taking up his residence in 
Gerar, a country of the Philistines. Here he fell into the 
same error as he did in Egypt. Abimelech, king of the 
country, fell in love with Sarah, and being informed that she 
was Abraham's sister, he sent for her to his palace. But 
she, was now pregnant of the promised heir, was miracu- 
lously preserved by heaven ; and Abimelech, on discovering 
their real relationship, reproached Abraham for his deception, 
and restoredhis wife unto him with presents. 

From this place he travelled farther to the south, and 
dwelt at Beersheba, whither he was followed bv Abimelech, 
who entered into a solemn covenant with him, that the one 
should not molest or injure the other. This circumstance 
encouraged Abraham to settle at this place, and there he 
erected an altar, and planted a grove, as a solemn and re- 
tired place, in which he might worship the Lord. 

At length the divine promise, which had been so long 
since made, and so often repeated, became fulfilled ; and, 
in the year 2109, Sarah bare a son, who was circumcised 
on the eighth day, and called by his joyful father, accord- 
ing to the divine command, Isaac. 

The feelings of Abraham and Sarah, on this pleasing 
event, cannot be described. Faith long tried received its 
<Jue reward j and all the consequences predicted by the an- 



m SCRIPTURE BIOGRAPHl. 

gel, and confirmed by the declaration of the Almighty, 
rushed upon the transported mind of Abraham, while Sarah 
«T = elt upon tne present enjoyment of a son in her old age, 
and the comforts she should receive from her Isaac. Abra- 
ham saw along lineage descending from him, in which the 
M ssiah should arise, who would save his people from their 
sins ; Sarah's views were confined to the pleasure of rearing 
Isaac to manhood, and in receiving support from him in her 
■-old age. 

On the day when Isaac was weaned Abraham made a 
splendid entertainment, thereby recognizing him as his heir. 
Tnis, in all probability, excited the envyofHagar, who had 
considered naturally enough, that, from the age of Abra- 
ham and Sarah, .there was little chance of their having chil- 
dren. The birth of Isaac destroved ;he pleasing expecta- 
tions she had formed of Ishmael' s inheriting his father's 
property, and therefore on this great festivity the dicon- 
tented passion evinced itself, and S *rah discovered the son 
of her handmaid k ' mocking isaac." This action roused 
the partial feelings of Sarah, and resentment excited other 
passions. Sne began to consider Ishmael as a dangerous 
companion for her son, and perhaps thought that his mother 
might prove a formidable rival. Instigated by these motives, 
she i nportuned, or rather compelled Abraham to banish 
H agar and her son from his house. Her language is haughty 
and peremptory, l * Cast out this bondwoman and her son ; 
Cor the son of this bondwoman shall not be heir with my son, 
■even with Isaac"* Abraham was greatly concerned at this, 
demand, and he grieved for ishmael because he was his son. 
JLike a pious man, ho-.vever, he laid his domestic troubles- 
feeiare the .Lord in fervent prayer, and consulted, as every 
one should do, the divine counsel, in his exigency. The 
Almighty having designs of his own to bring about with 
regard to both these extraordinary youths, directed Abra- 
ham to comply with the wish of his wife ; and accordingly 
Hxgar and Ishmael were dismissed from tents where they 
had so long dwelt in ease and plenty, to seek subsistence 
else v here* Hagar in the wilderness having consumed the 
trifling provisions which she brought with her, left her 
child under a shrub, and sat over against him, expecting 
nothing but death. The G >d of Abraham compassionating 
her care sent his angel to comfort her, with an assurance 

* Gen. xsi. 1ft 



ABRAHAM. 6S 

t?iat t^e lad should be the father of a great nation, and, as she- 
was famishing with thirst, he caused a w ell of water to spring; 
forth, and both she and the lad revived. Here tfycy fixed 
their abode, and under the divine protection, Ishmael pros- 
pered, and his mother took him a wife out of the land of 
Egypt. Thus originated the Arabian tribes, who bear all 
the characteristics of their wild progenitor, agreeable to the 
word of the Lord. 

In the mean time Abraham was near being seriously em- 
broiled with Abimelech, his neighbour, owing to the servants 
of the latter having taken vrolently a well of water from the 
patriarch. This circumstance was of great moment where 
water forms one of the most valuable and one of the scarcest 
articles of life. Abimelech, who had a great respect for 
Abraham, arising from a conviction that the favour of hea- 
ven was eminently upon him, yielded up the point in dispute, 
and a solemn covenant was entered into between them, by 
which the right of Abraham to the well of Beersheba was 
confirmed. 

We are now arrived at the most memorable circumstance 
in the life of this illustrious patriarch, and one which has 
employed the pens of commentators, and the wit of infidels 
more than any other in the sacred history. 

The Lord, after many reiterated declarations, and many 
solemn engagements, at length accomplished his promise ; 
and Abraham had the delightful satisfaction of receiving a 
heir by his beloved wife. The child grew up to years of 
maturity, and by the sweetness of his manners solaced the 
hearts of his parents in their old age, and gave them an as- 
surance that now, after all the trying vicissitudes they had 
experienced, nothing would intervene to disturb them tills 
their course should be done, when, to add to their comfort 
they would have a dutiful son to close their eyes in the hour 
of dissolution. How vain are our fondest expectations ? 
And how little is there upon earth that can be called our 
own ! In the midst of his tranquillity Abraham is put to 
another trial, more severe than any he had yet experienced. 
While he beheld his Isaac with fond delight, as the child 
of promise, and the father of many nations, he received 
this extraordinary command from God : u Take now thy 
son, thine only son Isaac, whom thou lovest, and get thee 
into the land of Moriah -, and offer him there for a burnt- 



€4 SCRIPTURE BIOGRAPHY 

offering, upon one of the mountains which I will tell thee 
• of."* 

How explicit and awfully affecting is the divine order ! 
Take thy son would not be clear enough, but it must be 
lfc thine only son," even Isaac, thy darling child ; he upon 
whom thy heart is fixed ; the child of thy tenderest affec- 
tions ; even Isaac, whom " thou lovest ;" and what shall be 
done with him I Must he be abandoned to a wandering- 
life, to the pitiless storm of a ruthless world, like Ishmael I 
That, indeed, would have been exquisitely distressing to 
such a heart as Abraham's ; but what is this when com- 
pared to the demand of his life ? Take him into a distant 
land with all the deliberation and attendance of a pleasant 
journey, and offer him for a burnt-offering. What must 
have been the sensations. of Abraham in that moment ! Did 
not his soul sink within him, and every faculty rush into 
confusion when the dreadful sentence was pronounced by 
that voice, which had hitherto sounded nothing in his ears 
but promises and peace ? No doubt Abraham felt, at that 
moment, all the sympathies of nature beyond measure ; but 
there was one principle in him which was not to be over- 
thrown. His tenderness as a man and a father could not 
get the better of his duty to God. He had been accustomed 
hitherto to comply implicitely with every command of hea- 
ven, with every ordinance of Jehovah. Satisfied therefore 
that the present ordinance came from the'same just and righ- 
teous authority which he had hitherto made it his practice 
to obev, he arose without so much as murmuring, or even 
expostulating with God, and did as he was directed. 

The length of the journey was an aggravating circum- 
stance in this trying scene, as hereby every revolting idea 
against obedience had leisure to operate, and the sugges- 
tions of infidelity, that the command was a deception, were 
by no means weak, when added to a reflection upon the 
terms of the promise and the solemnity of the covenant. 
" How are those things to be reconciled, and how can all 
that has been promised to me be fulfilled, now that my inno- 
cent, my beloved Isaac must be offered as a lamb upon the 
altar ?" Such a doubt was natural, and that it worked up- 
on the mind of the patriarch can hardly be questioned : 
but that faith which had hitherto supported him, and by 
which, as the apostle saith, " he believed even. against 

* Gen. xxu\ 



ABRAHAM. 65 

hope,"* now braved cv^n this sore trial. He relied upon 
th>- wisdom, the goodness, the veracity, and the holiness of 
Jehovah ; and, therefore, as he had received Isaac from his 
hands by promise, he was determined to yield him back again, 
at the divine command. 

On their arrival at the mountain Abraham alighted with 
his son, and, leaving the servants, they ascended together, 
Abraham bearing the instruments of death, and Isaac carry- 
ing the wood for the fa^al pile. At this crisis, so painful 
and distressing, Isaac puts a question, which could not but 
rouse every tender sentiment in the breast of Abraham. 
" And he said, My father ; and he said, here am I, my 
son : and he said, Behold the fire and the wood, but where 
is the lamb for a burnt- offering ? And Abraham said, My 
son, God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt-offering i 
so they went both of them together. 

The language is inexpressibly simple and endearing, but 
the conclusion shews, in the strongest manner, the unshaken 
firmness of the holy patriarch, and the superior energy of 
his mind. His confidence in God was paramount to every 
other feeling ; and though he did not at that time entertain 
a hope of being delivered from this painful task, yet his 
piety was as fervent as ever. 

Many religious persons when called upon to resign some 
darling object to the will of heaven, are apt to be fretful, 
and even rebellious against the Lord ; they think that their 
trial is peculiar, and that their lot is hard ; let such persons 
contemplate the burden laid upon Abraham, and the con- 
duct of the patriarch through the whole of this painful 
scene. " God," said he, " will provide." He little 
thought, at that moment, that he was speaking in the spirit 
of prophecy, but considered his beloved Isaac, whom he 
addressed, as the very lamb appointed for sacrifice. 

And now the altar is erected, the wood is carefully laid 
in order, the patriarch pauses, and addresses a solemn prayer 
to the covenant God of his mercies. Isaac, though a young 
man, not less than twenty-five years of age, and proba- 
bly older, readily submits to be bound, and lies stretched 
upon the wood which he had carried himself. Abraham, 
faithful to his purpose, calls upon his God, and stretches 
forth his hand to plunge the deadly weapon into the throat 
of his son, the child of his old age, the heir of promise, his 

• Rom. iv, 18. 
I 



66 SCRIPTURE BIOGRAPHY, 

beloved Isaac. It is enough. The sacrifice is performed, 
Jehovah, who had watched every part oi the-scene, and every 
movement of his servant's soul, arrests his hand at the in- 
stant it is about to obey the command, and orders him t© 
forbear: u Lay not thine hand upon the lad, neither da 
thou any thing unto him ; for now 1 know that thou fearest 
God, seeing that thou hast not withheld thy son, thine 
only son, from me." 

What a joyful transition is this; and how transporting 
inust have been the feelings both of father and son at the 
gracious interposition of heaven ! How eagerly does Abra- 
ham unbind his dutiful child, and with what rapture do they 
embrace each other in this more than resurrection from the 
dead ! Th® patriarch prophesied truly, when he said that 
God would provide himself a lamb for a burnt-offering ; for 
just behind him appeared a ram, caught in a thicket by his 
horns : " and Abraham went and took the ram, and offered 
him up for a burnt-offering instead of his son." This, in^ 
deed, was a joyful sacrifice of thanksgiving, at which the 
devout feelings of the worshippers were exalted to the 
highest pitch- 
Abraham and his «on having thus performed their duty to 
God the deliverer, descended the mountain, and returned 
home with hearts full of gladness, love and faith. 

Is it possible to contemplate this extraordinary and affect- 
ing narrative without seeing, in all its parts, a striking re- 
presentation of the redemption wrought out by Jesus Christ? 
At that period, indeed, all was dark and awfully mysterious, 
even to angels ; but he who does nothing in vain, and who 
gives no command without a gracious purpose, ordered this 
marvellous incident as a glowing type of that sacrifice 
which should, in after ages, be offered up for the sins of the 
world. Abraham was ready to yield up his Isaac, the child 
of promise, at the divine will ; but 4 * God himself so loved 
the world, that he gave his only begotten son, that whoso- 
ever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlast- 
ing life."* Isaac carried the wood for the sacrifice to the 
summit of the mountain, and Jesus bore his cross to the top 
of Calvary, where he actually poured out his blood, as an 
atonement for guilt not his own. Isaac submitted without 
murmuring to the will of his father and of heaven, and Jesus 
came of his own voluntary motion to execute what his fa- 
ther directed, saying, " Lo ! I come to do thy will, O mt 

aod-"t 

Jetin, iii. 16. fPs, si. S> Heh. x' 



ABRAHAM. <& 

Let us then view the type and the antitype, Isaac and 
Jesus, v ith admiration and with gratitude to that God, who, 
in the rrtost mysterious way, haih wrought out salvation ior 
us. This should incite in our minds an abhorrence of every- 
thing which tends to dppose the will ot God. From the 
readiness of Abraham to sacrifice his beloved child at the 
divine command, n e are taught to resign ourselves, and all 
we have, to the disposal and direction ot heaven ; above 
all, it calls us to cut off every beloved sin, every darling 
lust. Whatsoever is contrary to the law of God must be 
sacrificed, even though it should be as dear as Isaac was to 
his lather, or as tender as the apple of the eye, if we would 
be spiritually fcfc Abraham's children," and '• inheritors of the 
promises of God." 

A few years alter this great event Sarah died in Kirjath- 
arba, at the advanced age of a hundred and twenty years.—- 
1 he loss was affecting, especially to such a tender partner as 
Abraham ; but though he sorrowed, it was not as one with- 
out hope. Religion supported his mind in every trial ; and 
Abraham knew that this was not his resting place, for he 
looked for 4 - a city that hath foundations, whose builder and 
maker is God."* Thither he trusted his beloved Sarah was 
gone before him, and he knew that, in the course of things 
it would not be many years before he should follow her. 
With this view he now takes occasion to provide a bury- 
ing place for the dead in the country were he then dwelt ; 
and the manner in which he procured it is an addidonal tes- 
timony of the noble disinterestedness of his mind. 

Having called the heads of the country together, Abra- 
ham stood up from before his dead, and spake unto them, 
saying, u I am a stranger and a sojourner with you, give me 
a possession of a burying place with you, that I may bury 
my dead out of my sight. And the children of Heth an- 
swered Abraham, saving unto him, Hear us, my lord 5 
thou art a mights prince among us ; in the choice of our se- 
pulchres bury thy dead ; none of us shall withhold from thee 
his sepulchre, but that thou mayest bury thy dead."f 

From hence we may perceive that Abraham was highly 
respected by the chiefs of that country, though he was but 
a stranger and a sojourner among them. The power and re- 
tinue of the patriarch were calculated to excite jealousy 
and apprehension ; but his integrity, piety, and courtesy 

• Heb. xi. 1©. I Gen. sxiS. 3., &c. 



68 SCRIPTURE BIOGRAPHY. 

conciliated their esteem, and produced in their minds an in- 
terest in his favonr. The obliging answer which he receiv- 
ed to his request, led the patriarch to solicit the cave of 
.Machpelah, situated in the end of a field belonging to Eph- 
ron, one of the principal men of the country. No sooner 
did he intimate his desire of that spot, with a wish to pur- 
chase it at whatsoever price should be put upon it, than the 
the owner of it, with an eager liberality, exclaimed pub- 
licly, " Nay, my lord, hear me ; the field give I thee, and 
the cave that is therein 1 give it thee, in the presence of the 
sons of my people give 1 it thee ; bury thy dead." The 
politeness of Ephron rises far superior to the most delicate 
a ■•;d eniar ged urbanity of modem times, as does the inde- 
pendent spirit of Abraham. Though grateful to Ephron for 
his generous offer, he is yet above possessing a burial-place 
among strangers without having a fair and lasting claim to 
it. He, therefore, after returning his acknowlegements to 
the owner, insists upon paying for the field, whatsoever 
price Ephron should fix upon it. The other, finding him 
tenacious of this point, says, u The land is worth four- 
hundred shekels of silver ; what is that between me and thee ? 
bury therefore thy dead. And Abraham hearkened unto 
Ephron, and Abraham weighed unto Ephron the silver 
which he had named in the audience of the sons of Heth, 
four hundred shekels of silver, current money with the mer- 
chant." 

This is the first instance we read of a purchase made with 
money ; for it is evident from the passage that the silver was 
not common silver, but such as was current with the mer- 
chant. This shekel (according to Josephus) contained four 
Athenian drachms, or about half an ounce ; so that these 
four hundred shekels seem to be somewhat more than fifty 
pounds of our money, a sum very considerable in that early 
period of the world. 

We not only learn from hence the antiquity of money, 
but also that of making inclosures and sacred repositories for 
the dead. The inhabitants of the country had their family 
burying places, and Abraham was desirous of having a 
cemetery lor himself and those com ected with him. It is a 
becoming and laudable practice, well suited to keep up a 
tender remembrance of our departed friends, a sense of our 
own mortality, and a lively hope of that solemn time when 
corruption snail put on incorruption, and when the grave 



ABRAHAM. 69 

shall yield up, at the command of Omnipotence, its sleep- 
ing inhabitants. 

The pious Abraham, with a tender care for the peace and 
welfare of his son, now thought it expedient to procure for 
him a suitable wife, especially as the death of Sarah began 
to render a female necessary at the head of his household. 
Fearful lest Isaac might indiscreetly form a connexion among 
some of the heathenish families of Canaan, he gave a charge 
to his steward Eliezer, to go into Mesopotamia, and seek 
a wife for his son among his own relations. The faithful 
domestic accomplished this desireable purpose, and returned 
to his master, altera perilous journey, with Rtbekah, the 
daughter of Bethuel. The circumstances of tiiis marriage, 
however, belong more properly to the history of Isaac, and 
therefore the particulars of it will be deferred till we come 
to the life of that patriarch. Having thus succeeded in 
uniting Isaac to his wish, Abraham himself took a wife, 
named Keturah, by whom he obtained six children, who 
were the heads of populous tribes. Finding at length that 
the infirmities of age were gaining ground fast upon him, 
and that his dissolution could not be far off, he settled his 
worldly affairs, giving a portion to each of his other sons, 
and settling the bulk of his estate upon Isaac, as heir of the 
promise. This material point being settled, by which the 
peace of his family was secured, Abraham, no doubt, pre- 
pared for his great change, in a manner that became his 
pious character. That solemn event at last arrived, and he 
gave up the ghost, and died in a good old age, an old man, 
and full of years, at the age of one hundred threescore and 
fiften.* 

The remains of the venerable patriarch were, with the 
greatest solemnity and the sincerest concern, deposited by T 
the side of his beloved Sarah, in the field of Machpelah, by 
his sons Isaac and Ishmael. From this circumstance it ap- 
pears that the son of Hagar kept up a friendly intercourse 
with his brother, and had been on good terms with his pi- 
ous father. At all events, it shews that the death of Abra- 
ham softened the wildness of his nature, and caused him to 
blend his tears with those of his brother Isaac, over their 
common parent. The picture is touching and instructive. 
Death, the great dissolver of all human relations, ought at 
least to be the means of reconciling those who remain be- 

• Gen. xxv. <£ 



& 



r © SCRIPTURE BIOGRAPHY. 

hind. Why should brothers be disunited and envious at 
each other, when the time is hastening on that will consign 
them to the silent grave ; and when the surviving party will 
feel, if not wholly lost to ha nanity, a sense of regret that 
any unbrorherlv affection ever arose in his breast ? Isaac and 
Ishmael, though once discordant, unite in sympathetic sor- 
row over the grave of Abraham. Let the lesson they af- 
ford be carefully learnt by all who bear the fraternal charac- 
ter, to go and do likewise. 

The character of Abraham is best seen by the actions re- 
corded of him, and how brilliant does it appear ! An un- 
shaken confidence in the God who called him out of his na- 
tive land, distinguished him through his pilgrimage state. — 
u by faith he sojourned in the land of promise, as in a 
strange country, dwelling in tabernacles with Isaac and Ja- 
cob, the heirs with him of the same promise. For he look- 
ed for a city which kath foundations, whose builder and 
maker is God." 

To that heavenly Canaan, or land of immortal rest, he ar- 
rived after a long and honourable course here below. To 
be placed in his bosom is an expression made use of in the 
New Testament by the Redeemer himself, and implies the 
consummation of felicity after a life of faith and trial* 
May we so pass through things temporal, as to obtain that 
glorious portion ; and having finished the work given us to 
do with faith and diligence, be admitted " to sit down with 
Abraham in the kingdom of God." 

* Luke xvi. 2t; 



h 



M 



ISAAC. /^ 

Isaae born anno mundi 2109, died 2289. 

THE private and sequestered life is often as instructive 
and as amiable as that which is passed upon the crow d- 
ed theatre of the world. If we follow the good man into 
his retirement, and observe his conduct narrowly, we shall 
find much to admire and love, though it may not afford in- 
cidents to surprize and entertain us. The scripture records 
present us with characters of both kinds, the public and the 
busy, the private and secluded ; all, how tver, fulfilling the 
wise ordination of providence, and all holding out to us the 
" example of a virtuous and godly life." 

In the memoir of Abraham we have seen a great variety 
of interesting circumstances, and have viewed the grt at pa- 
triarch in a number of trying situations. The life of Isaac 
was less diversified ; for he happily inherited from his father 
a large estate, and having the advantage of a pious educa- 
tion, he sat down in the quiet possession of it without feel- 
ing the necessity or the inclination of roving about to in- 
crease his store, or to gratify a spirit of curiosity. 

At his birth great joy took possession of the hearts of his 
parents, for he was the child of long expectation, therefore 
the name of Isaac was given him, which signifies laughter^ 
or gladness. 

In his youth he suffered much from the evil disposition of 
his brother Ishmael, who probably envied Isaac as the ac- 
knowleged heir of Abraham. The historian says that the 
son of Hagar " mocked Isaac," and St. Paul explains the 
matter clearly, thus, " he that was born after the flesh perse- 
cuted him that was born after the spirit."* This accounts 
for the asperity of Sarah, and the peremptory demand which 
she made to Abraham, " Cast out the bondwoman and her 
son, for the son of the bondwoman shall not be heir with my 
son, even with Isaac." That there was something peculiar- 
ly provoking and offensive in the conduct of Ishmael there 
can be no doubt, otherwise Abraham would hardly have 
banished him from his presence in a time of joy and fes* 
tivity. 

: 6al 17. 2?, 



72 SCRIPTURE BIOGRAPHY. 

The most prominent circumstance in the life of Isaac was 
the scene in Mount Moriah, where Abraham, obedient to 
the will of heaven, was about to sacrifice him for a burnt of- 
fering, and where Isaac, without murmuring, yielded him- 
self a victim to be slain upon the altar. We have already- 
described the particulars of that interesting and affecting 
event in the life of Abraham, and therefore shall forbear to 
add any thing upon it in this place, except to express our ad- 
miration of the meekness of Isaac, and his dutiful submis- 
sion to a mandate so repulsive to human nature. How fine- 
ly does he represent the meek and submissive Redeemer of 
the world, who, all obedient to the will of his heavenly Fa- 
ther, bore the cruel mockings of his brethren the Jews, 
heard passively the sentence of death, carried his cross to 
Mount Calvary, and there actually endured the most ago- 
nizing pain and suffering, being offered as a sacrifice for us 
men, and for our salvation ! 

Isaac lived after this a domestic life with his pious and af- 
fectionate parents, being their joy and comfort in the decline 
of life, by the sweetness of his temper and the sincerity of 
his religion. 

The attentions of such a son must have been delightfully 
gratifying to his aged mother, and her dying pillow was sof- 
tened by the gentle hand of Isaac, who mourned over her 
remains with sincere affection. 

This last duty performed, and the time of mourning expir- 
ed, Abraham considered it necessary to provide a wife for 
his son. The good father had no thought of a splendid or 
wealthy alliance, but was anxious to obtain a daughter-in- 
law from a family which feared God : and Isaac, like a du- 
tiful son, left the management of this important concern to 
the prudence of his father. Abraham, having weighed the 
matter fully, called for the steward of his household, and 
having bound him by a solemn oath, he sent him to Mesopo- 
tamia to seek a wife for Isaac from among the children of 
his brother Nahor. Abraham was fearful lest' his son might, 
through inadvertence, form an improper connexion with 
some of the Canaanitish damsels, and, therefore, took this 
precaution to swear his steward to the due discharge of this 
commission. The faithful servant went as he was com- 
manded, and, on his arrival at the place of his destination, he 
stopped at a well, that his camels might drink ; and, while 
he rested there, he offered up an earnest prayer to " the Goa 



ISAAC. rs 

of his master Abraham, that he might have good speed 
that day.""* How diffusive is the influence of a good and 
gracious example ! A pious master makes religion respect- 
ed in his household, and often brings the domestics to know 
and love what they would otherwise be ignorant of and des- 
pise. This head servant of the patriarch has a most tender 
concern for the welfare of his master's household, and he 
shews that he has that at heart, not by an ostentatious 
display of service, or by a parade of zeal for his master's 
honour, but by a solicitous regard to promote his wishes, 
and by praying to God for success upon the commission 
with which he is intrusted. Prayiag masters will frequent- 
ly make praying servants, and upon such families a divine 
blessing will descend. 

The God of Abraham attends to the request of the pi- 
ous steward, and the damsel allotted for Isaac comes out at 
evening to the very spot where the camels rested. Though 
the daughter of a man of wealth and rank, she is not above 
the domestic cares and concerns oi the family. Rebekah, 
the niece of Abraham, and a person of eminent distinction, 
is seen " bearing a pitcher upon her shoulder," which she 
fills at the well. The circumstance is instructive, and shews 
that, in the primitive ages, nothing was considered mean 
which was laudable and useful. To draw and carry water 
may appear servile, and unbecoming in a female of high 
birth and expectations ; but she who can thus descend to 
an employment necessary in a family, will be esteemed the 
more by the liberal and discerning. From this picture of 
primitive simplicity the female world are instructed in every 
age to attend minutely and actively to all the concerns of 
family economy. 

The diligence and humility of Rebekah were not more 
amiable than her courtesy and affability Abraham's ser- 
vant, as she ascended from the well, requested a draught of 
water from her pitcher, and Rebekah, with true politeness, 
said, " Drink, my lord, and she hasted to let down her 
pitcher upon her hand, and gave him to drink." Not con- 
tent with gratifying this request, the damsel, in a spirit of 
true benevolence, attended to the wants of the poor camels 
also ; and u she hasted and emptied her pitcher into the 
trough, and ran again unto the well and drew water for all 
his camels." The sacred writer observes, that " the man 

* Gen. xxiy. 12, 
K 



U SCRIPTURE BIOGRAPHY, 

wondered at her," and well he might. The winning com te * 
sy of such behaviour could not but affect any huu.an heart 
with love and admiration. Graceful condescension and acts 
of kindness in persons of distinction will always have this 
effect upon persons in lower stations; and if those who 
move in the more elevated circles would but consider how 
endearing they make themselves by a courtesy of manners 
and pleasantness of demeanour, it would be their chief am- 
bition to win a praise so easily obtained. 

The stranger, charmed with the sweet behaviour of Re- 
bekah, felt a wish that she might prove a branch of his mas- 
ter's family ; and when he found that she actually was, he 
" bo Wed down his head and worshipped the Lord. And 
he said, Blessed be the Lord God of my master Abraham, 
who hath not left destitute my master of his mercy and his 
truth : I being in the way the Lord led me to the house of 
iriy master's brethren." 

it is delightful to see a man. acknowleging the Lord in all 
his ways, seeking his direction in the outset, and blessing 
him for the issue. The conduct of this servant deserves to 
be admired and imitated by every one who believes in the 
superintending care of divine providence. He takes no 
step without prayer, and he receives no favour without 
praise, 

R j bekah, on hearing the devout ascription of the stran- 
ger, ran home to Inform her family that a messenger from 
her uncle was at the well. Her brother Laban immediately 
hastened out, and said, u Come in thou blessed of the Lord, 
wherefore standest thou without ? for I have prepared the 
house and room for ttie camels." 

After the cattle were properly taken care of, refreshment 
was placed before the steward ; but he who had the interest 
of his master at heart before his own ease and convenience, 
■would not eat till he had discharged his mission. How does 
the character of the good man rise in our esteem by every 
new circumstance in this beautiful narrative ! He loved his 
master, because he knew and loved his master's God. Re- 
ligion made him a faithful and affectionate servant; and Abra- 
ham knowing his value, placed an entire confidence in him. 

The f amilv of Rebekah received the overture with wil- 
lingness, but then they exercised no sort of authority over 
her inclinations They called the damsel, and " said unto 
her, Wilt thou go with this man I And she said, I will go*-] 



ISAAC. n? 

i he free and artless reply of Rebekah comported with the 
general manners of that age of simplicit) , ai.d is not to be 
judged after the customs of modern time, when the heart is 
taught to conceal its. natural sentiments under an artificial 
guise. 

Eliezer was impatient to report the success he had expe- 
rienced to his venerable lord, and, therefore, resisted all the 
importunity of Rebekah's family to tarry with then* for a lit- 
tle time, finding him fixed in his determination, and having 
nothing to allege against the motive of it, they dismissed their 
fair relative with a blessing. " Thou art our sister, be thou 
the mother of thousands of millions, and let thy seed possess 
the gate of those which hate them." 

Let us now turn our eye towards the tents of the patriarch 
in Canaan. 

Isaac, we are told, u went out lo meditate, or pray in the 
field at even-tide."* This devotional disposition formed 
a leading feature in the good man's character. The cir- 
cumstance here noted, though apparently simple, affords 
abundant matter for interesting and instructive refle ction. 
It was probably the custom of Isaac to withdraw from the 
crowded tents into the neighbouring fields to indulge in re- 
ligious contemplation and prayer. Rural retirement is ad- 
mirably calculated to compose the mind, and to lead the 
thoughts into a serious channel. The stillness of the scene 
calms down every perturbed idea, and rt duces into sub- 
jection the wildness of fancy. All nature shews sobrie- 
ty, and tends to elevate the mind, which is not absolutely vi- 
tiated, to the universal parent, whose " tender mercy is over 
all his works." 

The w even-tide" is more peculiarly fitted to accomplish 
this purpose. When the glare of day is softened down into 
a mellow light, and the noise of labour and festivity sub- 
sides into stillness, the mind harmonizes with nature, and 
becomes susceptible of serious impressions and devout ele- 
vations. And when meditation has revolved past mercies, 
has combined difficulties with deliverances, fearful appre- 
hensions with providential interpositions, it necessarily leads 
th^ soul to praise and prayer. Thanksgiving for blessings 
produces contrition for offences, and this brings the contem- 
plative man to prayer ior grace. In viewing Isaac, there- 
Gen, xxiv. 63, 



TS SCRIPTURE BIOGRAPHY. 

fore, as he slowly paces the field, we have an example which 
it will be proper and profitable to imitate. 

Meditation here 
May think down hours to moments. Here the heart 
May give a useful lesson to the head, 
And learning- wiser grow without his books. 

COWPER. 

While the patriarch was exercised in religious contem- 
plation ; and perhaps the circumstance of the new situation he 
was about to enter into, did not pass without a share of his 
thoughts, he lifted up his eyes, and beheld the camels which 
his father had sent to Mesopotamia. 

Rebekah, on being informed that the pensive meditant in 
the field was no other than her spouse, alighted from her ca- 
mel, " and took a veil and covered herself." No grace is 
so beautiful or attractive as female delicacy and reserve. We 
have seen the fair damsel's readiness to obey the call of pro- 
vidence, and to follow the dictates of her heart, with admi- 
ration ; and now that she approaches the presence of her 
lord, she distinguishes herself by a conduct no less amiable. 
Some forward maidens would have been eager not only to 
stare at the man, but to attract his notice also, by an 
haughty air of affectation. Rebekah puts on a veil to hide 
her blushes, and descends from the camel in a spirit of hu- 
mility. And " Isaac brought her into his mother Sarah's 
tent, and took Rebekah, and she became his wife, and he 
loved her : and Isaac was comforted after his mother's 
death." 

Thus did the Almighty, whom he served, provide a re- 
medy for grief ; and reward the dutiful affection of Isaac 
by a suitable comfort. 

But all earthly good is mixed, and accompanied with 
some circumstances that, by rendering faith and prayer in- 
dispensible, we may feel ourselves dependent always upon 
providence. Rebekah though beautiful was barren. Isaac, 
therefore, " entreated the Lord for her, and she bare twins." 
So gracious is heaven, that it oftentimes rt wards a patient 
continuance in well-doing by more than was solicited. 

These sons, Esau and Jacob, however, occasioned much 
trouble to Isaac, and that owing to an evil which is but too 
common even in the present day, and ever will be so while 



ISAAC. 77 

human nature is the slave of passions. " Isaac," it is said, 
4i loved Esau, because he did eat of his venison ; but Rebe- 
kah loved Jacob."* Nothing can be weaker than parental 
distinctions among children ; and usually the principles 
upon which these partialities are formed are redicuious. 
This was the case here ; Isaac's fondness for Esau arose 
from a circumstance that one should least expect would have 
operated upon the mind of so good a man, l * he loved him 
because he did eat of his venison." Esau was fond of the 
sports of the field ; a diversion by no means unlawful, but 
seldom calculated to improve the mind, or to meliorate the 
heart. It hardens the faculties while it renders the limbs 
robust, and deadens the tender feelings while it gives health 
and agility. There were no qualities in Esau which war- 
ranted this partiality : on the contrary, he was resentful, fe- 
rocious, and irresolute. Rebekah, no less blameable, placed 
her affections upon Jacob, perhaps because he was the 
younger, more delicate, placid, and of a domestic turn. 

An incident occurred which afterwards tended to increase 
this dissension, and made the breech between these two bro- 
thers, irreconcileable. 

Esau, returning one day from the field, faint with the fa- 
tigues of the chace, and, according to the original phrase, 
nearly ready to die, requested a mess of ^pottage w r hich his 
brother Jacob was preparing for himself. The younger 
taking advantage of his brother's condition, refused to give 
it him on any other terms than a transfer of the primogeni- 
tureship, and that too upon oath. Esau, regarding only his 
exigency, readily yielded the birth-right, ate the pottage, re- 
vived, and went his way. Thus, says the sacred writer, 
" Esau despised his birth-right."f This certainly was a 
more serious and important matter than ordinary readers 
are apt to imagine ; and the expression of St. Paul, that 
" Esau was a profane person, who, for one morsel of meat, 
sold his birth-right,"i implies that the renunciation had 
something of apostacy in it. 

The promise of the Messiah ran in the line of Isaac, and, 
therefore, the conduct of Esau shews that he treated it as a 
consideration of no value. Ke fell into infidelity and ido- 
latry, through the indulgence of sensual desires, and the pro- 
mise descended upon his brother Jacob, in whose family the 
true religion was preserved. 

* Gen, xxv. 29. f Ib - xxv - 54. J T Heb. xii. IS. 



rs SCRIPTURE BIOGRAPHY. 

While the family peace of the patriarch was thus dls= 
iurhed, a circumstance happened which often occurred in 
the land. of Canaan. A famine arose, and Isaac was com- 
pelled to go in quest of bread to a distant country. It seems 
to have been his first intention to go down into Egypt, where 
his father had sought an asylum in a like case of distress ; 
but the Lord appeared unto him, and warned him frcm 
taking that step, adding this promise in case of his obe- 
dience ; " Sojourn in this land, and I will be with thee and 
bless thee : for unto thee, and unto thy seed 1 will give all 
these countries ; and I will perform the oath which I sware 
unto Abraham thy father. And I will make thy seed to 
multiply as the stars of heaven, and will give unto thy seed 
all these countries ; and in thy seed shall all the nations of 
the earth be blessed, bee uisr that Abraham obeyed my voice 
and kept my charge, my commandments, my statutes, and 
my laws." Isaac obeyed the voice of the Lord, and dwelt 
in Gerar, the capital of Philistia. But here the patriarch 
fell into the same guilty weakness which Abraham commit- 
ted at the same place. Fearing that the beauty of Rebekah 
would endanger his life, he answered the men of the place, 
when asked concerning her, " that she was his sister." The 
king, some time afterwards", discovering that they were 
man and wife, sent for Tsaac, and thus sharply reproved him, 
" What is this that thou hast done unto us ? One of the 
people might lightly have lain with thy wife, and then thou 
shouldst have brought guiltiness upon us. .And Abimelech 
charged all his people, saying, he that toucheth this man or 
his wife shall surely be put to death."* 

With what reverence did this heathen nation regard the 
marriage state, and in what abhorrence was the sin of adul- 
tery held among them ! The king viewed the danger into 



wn 



-]• 



h the equivocation of Isaac might have involved some 
one of his subjects, as a national concern. He dreaded 
that the wrath of heaven would fall upon the country, in 
consequence of so atrocious an offence, and therefore de- 
nounces death upon the person who should dare to be guilty 
of it. 

The favour of God eminently prospered Isaac in Phi- 
listia, '• and he waxed so great in the possession of Socks 
raid herds," that the Philistines envied him. This is the 
customary attendant on wealth. The men of the country 

* Gen. xxvi. 10, 1 h 



ISAAC. 3 

could not view the prosperity of the stranger without dis- 
content j and though his increase did not injure them, it 
vet excited tneir hatred Minds under the influence 01 this 
base principle are capable ol any mean action. Abraham, 
when he sojourned in tuis land had digged many ueils tii^re, 
Id-' which Isaac, it seems, laid a tair claim These v. tils 
life envious Philistines stopped up, and filled .with eanh, 
thus destroy in the property of another without enriching 
themselves. Abimtkch perceiving the animosity which his 
people had against Isaac, and somewhat jealous himself ol* 
the patriarch's greatness, desired him to withdraw iron- the 
country: u Go from us, for thou art much mightier than 
we." Isaac accordingly quitted the place, and settled in 
the valley, where he digged again for the weils of his father ; 
but the envious Philistines followed him from the city with 
their malice, and seized the property which had descended 
to him as an hereditary right. The patriarch, wearied out 
with their malignity, and not willing to resent the injury he 
had received, removed farther, and fixed his residence at 
Beersheba, vhere he built an altar for worship, and " called 
upon the name of the Lord." 

While he resided here in peace, Abimelech, who had so un- 
generously dismissed him from Gerar, paiihima visit, at- 
tended by the principal officers of his household. Isaac, 
surprized, and perhaps apprehensive that some evil design 
prompted this visit, thus accosted them : " Wherefore come 
ye to me, seeing ye hate me, and have sent me away from 
you :" The interrogatory was sharp, but just. The Phi- 
listine chiefs replied, that having seen him eminently the fa- 
vourite of heaven, they came merely out of esteem, and to 
enter into a covenant with him. Peace-loving Isaac reaoiiy 
consented to the proposal ; and having entertained his guests 
liberally, " they rose up betimes in the morning, and sware 
one to anothrr ; and Isaac sent them away, and they de- 
parted from him in peace." 

Thus the Lord softened the asperity of his enemies, and 
infused a fear of him into their minds. So superior is in* 
nate goodness, that even the ungodly have seme sense of re- 
verence for it, and are desirous to be on good terms v»ith 
the righteous. 

During a period of eighteen years from this event, we 
read of no circumstance to disturb the placid tenoui of 
Isaac's life j but then the peace of it was greatly embittered 



SO SCRIPTURE BIOGRAPHY. 

by the irreligious conduct of Esau, who, without advising 
with his parents, took two wives from among the Canaanites, 
which occasioned "a grief of mind," or, as it is termed in the 
Hebrew bible, " bitterness of spirit unto Isaac and to Re- 
bekah." The patriarch knew how fearful Abraham was 
lest he should form an idolatrous connexion, and therefore, 
animated by the same piou3 sentiment, he was desirous that 
his sons should follow his own example. But Esau, who, 
with his birth-right, had renounced all regard to true re- 
ligion, gave way to unlaw ful desires, and took two wives at 
once into a family hitherto distinguished by a scrupulous ad- 
herence to the ordinances of Jehovah. 

But though his eldest son had thus openly opposed the 
principles of religion, Isaac continued his partiality towards 
him, and was desirous that the peculiar blessing of the co- 
venant should descend upon him, with all the privileges of 
the primogenitureship. Finding himself, therefore, bow- 
ed down wi^h the infirmities of old age, and likely soon to 
end his pilgrimage, he called for Esau his beloved son, and 
gave him a charge to procure some of his favourite venison, 
and to dress it as he was wont to do, promising afterwards to 
confer upon him his blessing. Tne motive of Isaac in this 
instance was very weak, and shews not only an unbecoming 
attachment to Esau, but one founded upon a sensual princi- 
ple. His palate was pleased with the peculiar savouriness of 
-Esau's venison, and on that account he overlooked his hein- 
ous departure from the pure principles of Jehovah. His 
marriage into heathenish families was forgotten, and the 
doating father resolved to give his blessing, not where pro- 
vidence led, but where affection and indiscreet partiality 
inclined him. Rebekah who had heard the orders and pro- 
mise given bv her husband, resulved to counteract his de- 
sign, induced so to do by motives not at all better :han those 
of Isaac. Full of love for her favourite son, she persuad- 
ed him to personate Esau ; and having dressed such meat 
as she knew was agreeable to the old man, she put the skins 
of kids upon his hands, and clothed him with his brother's 
garments, and in that disguise caused him to present the 
meat unto Isaac. The patriarch, being nearly blind, could 
not discern the fraud that was put upon him, but having 
some mistrust through the quickness with which his son had 
discharged his commission, he felt the hands of Jacob, and 
finding that they were hairy, like those of his favourite, he 



ISAAC. 81 

said, "The voice is Jacob's voice, but the hands are the 
hands of Esau. So he blessed him." After partaking of 
the meat he kissed his son, and pronounced a solemn blessing 
upon him in the spirit of prophecy, being under the influ- 
ence of divine inspiration. Jacob had hardly quitted the 
chamber before Esau returned, and brought of the venison 
which he had dressed, according to his father's request. The 
old man, grieved and astonished at the circumstance, trem- 
bled ; and Esau, on hearing of the deception, cried with a 
great and exceeding bitter cry, saying, u Biess me, even me 
also, O my father." 

Isaac could not revoke the terms of the blessing which he 
had pronounced, upon Jacob. He was sensible that the 
whole was of divine appointment, and therefore confirmed 
the promise in this strong manner : u I have blessed him, 
yea, and he shall be blessed." The elder son, in language 
which one would imagine proceeded from a most tender 
spirit, exclaimed, " Ha3t thou net reserved a blessing for 
me ?" Isaac, who was (desirous to bestow ail that he could 
upon his first-born, without violating the direction of the 
Almighty, answered and sa-d unto him, " Behold thy dwel- 
ling shall be the fatness of the earth, and of the dew of hea- 
ven from above ; and by thy sword shalt thou live, and shalt 
serve thy brother : and it shall come to pass, when thou 
shalt have the dominion, that thou shalt break his yoke from, 
off thy neck."* 

This prophecy was exactly fulfilled ; for in the time of 
David, the Edomites, who were the lineal descendants of 
Esau, fell under the Israelitish yoke, but in the days of Jo- 
ram they shook it off, and regained their independence. 

Esau was so exasperated against his brother for this fraud, 
that he formed the deadly design of assassinating him ; but, 
as if he had some regard for the peace of his father, he re- 
solved to put off his malicious intent till u the days of mourn- 
ing for him should be ended." Rebekah, being informed 
of Esau's evil purpose, persuaded Isaac to send Jacob to 
her brother Laban, that he might take a wife from among 
his kindred ; and, on dismissing him, the patriarch confirmed 
the benediction which he had before pronounced upon him, 

Esau, provoked still more at this escape of Jacob, and at 
the conduct of his father towards him, plunged deeper into 
immorality and profaneness, taking, as it should out of mere 
spite to Isaac, one of the daughters of Ishmael to w ife. 

* Gen. xxvu. 1, 8cc, 
L 



I 



m SCRIPTURE BIOGRAPHY. 

Thus was the foolish partiality of the patriarch requited 
by the apostacy and licentiousness of his first-born. How 
seldom do these fond distinctions answer the expectations of 
the parents, or bring credit upon the motives from whence 
they arise ! Isaac indulged Esau in pursuits which were lit- 
tle calculated to render him a good member of society^ a du- 
tiful child, or a pious servant of God, merely because he 
was fond of the venison which he procured. The hunter 
turned out in consequence a man of lawless passions, irreli- 
gious, and, finally, disobedient. The peace of the family 
Was broken at a time when the two sons should have vied 
with each other in contributing to the ease and comfort of 
their parents, and the close of Isaac's life was embittered by 
the exile of one child, and the profane conduct of the other. 

But the designs and passions of men are overruled by the 
Providence of God, to bring to pass his own wise and 
gracious purposes. It was his will that the promise should 
run in the line of Jacob, and in the accomplishment of it 
he makes use even of the weakness of Isaac and the ambi- 
tion of Rebf^kah. Yet we are not from hence to conclude 
that the artifice made use of by her, or the falsehood utter- 
ed bv Jacob were lawful or pleasing in the sight of God» 
He loveth truth in the inward parts, and cannot endure a lie 
even in his own servants. But from the evil purposes of 
men he educes good, and from their wrath he draws matter 
which redounds to his pjlory. 

When Isaac sent Jacob away to Padan-aram, to elude the 
vengeful design of his brother Esau, he had little or no ex- 
pectation of seeing him any more. But though his younger 
son remained absent forty years, the Almighty prolonged 
the life of the patriarch, so that he had the satisfaction of 
embracing him again, and of hearing that Esau and Jac&fo 
had met and embraced each other by the way. 

The life of Isaac during that space of forty years is passed 
over in silence ; and doubdess it was not distinguished by 
any particular incident of moment, otherwise the sacred 
historian would have noticed it. But it was not passed with- 
out usefulness or enjoyment. His religious character forbids 
us to suppose that so good a man did not live during that 
time in the regular discharge of those duties which lay upon 
him as the head of a family, the heir of the promise, a 
patriarch, and a priest. In sweet communion with God he 
lived, and though no great variety of circumstances distnv 



ISAAC 83 

guished his life, yet his example affords a beautiful picture 
for imitation. H is dutifulness to his parents holds out a charm- 
ing lesson to y^ung persons ; his piety secured him the di- 
vine favour, and a peaceable enjoyment of trie land of pro- 
mise ; and his love to his family was rewarded by seeing 
harmony restored after a sad breach, occasioned by his own 
injudicious partiality. The venerable saint, at the age of 
one hundred and fourscore, yielded up his spirit into the 
hands of the God of Abraham his father, and probably in 
the presence of his sons Esau and Jacob ; for it is said that 
the two brothers united in paying the last solemn rites t© 
their lather. 



( B4 ) 
JACOB. J$J k 

Bom anno mundi 2169, died 2316. 

THERE is a striking variety in the characters and cir- 
cumstances of the three illustrious fathers of the chosen 
people of God. In Abraham we have seen the man of pow- 
erful faith, generous, and intrepid, in Isaac we are led to 
admire the pensive, retired, and domestic character. His 
son Jacob presents himself to us with different qualities, and 
his life exhibits a number of striking incidents. Yet each 
of these pious men claims our veneration by an unshaken 
fidelity to God, of virtuous life, by various prominent ex- 
cellencies of character, and by being the appointed means 
of preserving the great doctrines of religion, especially the 
promise of that Messiah, who was to descend from them 
according to the nesh, to restore the ruins of the fall. 

Isaac and Rebekah had been married twenty years with- 
out having a child, a circumstance which gave them consi- 
derable concern, especially as they relied upon the promise 
of an extensive line of posterity. Yet for so long a period 
did the Lord choose to try the faith of the patriarch, as he 
had dene that of his father. Isaac laid the case in prayer 
before God, and his prayer was more than answered ; for 
Rebekah bare twins, who struggled for superiority, as it 
were, even in the birth. The first-born of these was called 
Esau, which signiEes red, on account of his complexion 5 
and the other Jacob, or the supplant er. 

As these lads grew up their dispositions and pursuits va- 
ried in the extreme. Esau, robust and impetuous, devoted 
his time wholly to the sports of the field ; but Jacob was " a 
plain man," easy in his temper, and of a domestic turn. 
The first won his fathers affection by bringing him venison, 
which the old man loved ; and the other became the darling 
of Rebekah, by the suavity of his manners, and by his obe- 
dience to her will. 

Rebekah, while she was with child, went and enquired of 
the Lord respecting her condition, and received for answer 
this prophecy ; " Two nations are in thy womb, and two 
manner of people shall be separated from thy bowels : and 
the one people shall be stronger than the other people j and 
the elder shall serve the younger."^ This circumstance 
accounts plainly for that partiality which she had for Jacob, 

* Gen, jxv. 23. 



SCRIPTURE BIOGRAPHY. 85 

and for the steps she took in his behalf to wrest the blessing 
from his brother. But evil is not to be clone that good may- 
come of it ; and though Isaac was blameable in acting 
from mean motives against the divine direction, yet Rebe- 
kah stands justly reproachable for putting a deception upon 
him, and teaching Jacob the art of low cunning and equivo- 
cation. 

The first particular in Jacob's life does not present us 
with a very favourable feature in his character, at least in 
appearance. He was one day employed in dressing a dish 
of pottage of peculiar savouriness. The circumstance per- 
haps, may be deemed by some superficial observers as mean 
and unworthy, beneath the person of whom it is recorded, 
and as far below the dignity of history. But this objection 
will only shew the futility and emptiness of hypercritics, 
•who lose sight of the simplicity of early ages, and judge of 
the manners of men, and of the stile of writing in all ages, 
by one rule, fashioned according to modern customs. This 
incident in the btory of Jacob is one of those minute beau- 
ties which, in the crowd of events recorded in the Bible, we 
are apt to pass over without notice. Men of the greatest 
eminence in those times were not above employments of 
this kind, and the Grecian poet places his most favorite 
heroes in similar situations. 

Esau, on his return from hunting, finds his brother thus 
exercised, and, being fatigued and hungry, begs a mess of 
pottage with great earnestness, saying, at the same time, that 
he " was faint." The boon requested was trivial, and the 
condition of Esau ought to have excited the compassion of 
Jacob ; but he, taking advantage of his eagerness, refused to 
grant it, except on the condition of his relinquishing to him 
the birth-right. We cannot approve of this conduct in Ja- 
cob, though the grovelling spirit of Esau deserved punish- 
ment. He could not but know the tenour of the divine 
promise, and the consequent privileges which were attached 
to the primogenitureship. To be a patriarch included 
priesthood and sovereignty ; but Esau appears to have lost 
all concern about religion, and as to legitimate rights he 
cared little for them, provided he could lead a roving and an 
independent life. His answer to Jacob implies a contempt 
for that which he ought to have regarded as a sacred privi- 
lege ; and Esau said, " Behold I am at the point to die, [or 
ready to famish] and what profit shall this birth- right do to 
me ?" He accordingly sold his birth-right unto Jacob, and 
confined the sale by a solemn oath. 



m JACOB. - 

Rebekah had impressed the value of this birth-right upon 
the miad of her favourite son from his infancy, and encour- 
aged him to obtain it by any means. She moreover was intent 
to secure for him all the benefits attached to that privilege, 
and no doubt endeavoured to bring her husband to acknowlege 
Jacob as his heir. But Isaac, though acquainted with the de^ 
claration of heaven respecting his two sons, that " the elder 
should serve the younger," was very unwilling to deprive 
Esau of his claim. He resolved upon giving him the blessing, 
which, in fact, was to transfer over to him the patriarchal au- 
thority ; but herein we have already seen, in the life of Isaac, 
his design was frustrated by the craft of Rebekah, and the 
deception of her favourite son. In the conduct of Jacob 
there was much to pity and much to censure. He had some 
repugnance to the fraud, mixed with fear lest his father 
should discover it* Rebekah, however, was resolved not to 
be diverted from obtaining her long desired object, and over- 
came, by her entreaties, all his scruples. Jacob's interview 
with his aged father presents us with some awful incidents. 
When Isaac asked how it was that he had found the renison 
so quickly, he answered, " the Lord thy God brought it to 
me" A falsehood is at all times odious and shameful, but 
when it is recovered with a religious profession it becomes 
detestable. It was a shocking profanation of the name of 
Cod to allege it in support of a vile fraud ; but Jacob then 
knew nothing of real religion. He had the words of piety at 
command, and also an outward appearance of it, but an 
acquaintance with the Almighty as u his God" was yet 
wanting. But from crooked and strange things Providence 
produces good, and makes even the weaknesses and follies 
of men conducive to the most important and beneficial pur- 
poses. Isaac's sensuality was rightly punished, and his un- 
justifiable partiality received a severe mortification by the 
means which he adopted to gratify his appetite. 

Had he not been so anxious about his favourite venison, 
Rebekah would have wanted an opportunity to contrive this 
specious artifice ; and though she probably might have suc- 
ceeded by other means, yet the peace of his family would 
not have been so materially injured. Isaac little thought 
that he was counteracting his own wishes, while he was 
pronouncing over Jacob a blessing in these solemn words : . 
* God give thee of the dew of heaven, and the fatness of the 
earth, and plenty of corn and wine. Let people serve thee 
and nations bow down to thee - 3 be lord over- thy brethren, 



SCRIPTURE BIOGRAPHY. S7 

and let thy mother's sons bow down to thee. Cursed be 
every one that curseth thee, and blessed be he that blesseth 

thee:"* 

It was an exact prophecy of the greatness to which the 
line of Jacob should arrive, and the latter part reminds us 
of another character who, without designing it, and even 
contrary to his wish, pronounced the same execration upon 
the enemies of Jacob When Balaam stood upon the top 
of Peor, attended by the king of Moab and his courtiers, 
God compelled him to deliver this declaration respecting 
Israel : " Blessed is he that blesseth thee, and cursed is he 
that curseth thee.' r f 

But the patriarch and the diviner are no otherwise to be 
compared. Isaac's fondness for Esau may be attributed to 
parental weakness ; though even herein he was to be blamed, 
for he was not ignorant that a divine void ) *d assigned the 
-priority to Jacob. The course of Providence is not to be 
altered by human devices ; and the crimes of men will be 
overruled to effect what divine wisdom has planned. But 
fraud and injustice will meet with punishment in some shape 
or other. Esau, deprived of the blessing, is filled with so 
much anger against his brother, that he n.akes no scruple of 
openly avowing his intention to murder him. Rebekah on 
being informed of Esau's sanguinary intent, feels a natural 
anxiety for the safety of her beloved child, and immediately 
adopts the prudent resolution of sending him away privately 
to her brother in Mesopotamia. She communicates her de- 
sign to Isaac, but urges as a motive for it her apprehension 
lest Jacob should copy his brother's example, in taking a wife 
from a Canaanitish family. The patriarch acquiesced in her 
proposal, and calling Jacob, he u charged him, saying, thoti 
shaft not take a wife of the daughters of Canaan. Arise, 
go to Padan-aram, to the house of Bethuel, thy mother's 
father, and take thee a wife from thence of the daughters of 
Laban, thy mother's brother. And Gor> Almighty bless 
thee, and make thee fruitful and multiply thee, that thou 
mayest be a multitude of people ; and give the blessing of 
Abraham to thee, and to thy seed with thee, that thou may- 
est inherit the land wherein thou art a stranger, which Go» 
gave unto Abraham." 

Here Isaac evidently yields to the conviction that Jacob 
was destined by the Almightv to be the heir of that precious 
promise which he had received as a sacred deposit from 

• Sen, xxvii. 28, 29. f Xtunbers xxjr. 9, 



88 JACOB. . 

Abraham ; and, therefore, he transfers it to him in the same 
explicit terms in which it was originally given from above. 

Esau, on being made acquainted with the departure of 
Jacob, and the affectionate manner in which Isaac had dis- 
missed him, and that the ostensible motive for his journey 
was to procure a wife in Padan-aram, immediately went 
unto IshmaeL and took: his daughter Mahalath to wife, be- 
cause he knew it would grieve his father. 

We turn our eyes now to the solitary wanderer, travelling 
en foot in a trackless desert towards Haran. His going 
without attendants is easily to be accounted for, from the 
fearful concern of his mother, lest Esau should acquire a 
knowlege ot his rout. Thus the guilty conduct both of 
mother and son was justly punished ; she who was so eager 
to secure the inheritance for her favourite, is under the 
necessity of sending him forth as an exile into the wide 
world ; and he who could meanly take advantage of his 
brother's necessity, is made to suffer hunger and fatigue in 
the wilderness. But God has gracious designs towards 
Jacob, and in the depth of his distress makes himself known 
unto him, as he had unto his fathers. The shades of night 
begin to close upon the traveller, and no place of rest appears 
in view. There is not even a friendly cave at hand, beneath 
whose covert he can take shelter during the hours of dark- 
ness and danger. But the " shepherd of Israel neither slum- 
bers nor sleeps ;" he keeps his faithful servants in the night 
as well in the day, beneath the shadow of his wing. Ja- 
cob, fearing to proceed farther, looks around him for some 
place to rest himself till the morning, and fixes upon a spot 
called Luz, which signifies an almond-tree, from the abun- 
dance of those trees which grew thereabouts. Here he 
took up his lodging, and chose a stone for his pillow. The 
situation and accommodations were very uncomfortable, yet 
the traveller, overpowered with fatigue, soon closed his eyes 
in sleep. While he lay in this place his mental eye was fa- 
voured with a vision the most remarkable upon record. A 
ladder was set upon the earth, the top of which reached to 
heaven, and the angels of God ascended and descended upon, 
it. On the summit appeared the divine Majesty, or the 
visible symbol of God's presence, in a manner indescribable, 
from whence issued a voice assuring Jacob of his protection, 
and confirming to him all the promises which had been made 
to Abraham and to Isaac. 



JACOB, 39 

A Jewish commentator of eminence has given us the fol- 
lowing ingenious and j ust explanation of this glorious vi- 
sion. lk The ladder represents divine Providence, which go- 
verns all things, and particularly now directed Jacobin his 
journey, every step wherein was under the divine direction. 
Its being placed upon the earth signified the stedfastness of 
Providence, which nothing is able to shake. The top of it 
reaching to heaven shews us that it extends itself all the 
world over, to every thing great or small, high or low. The 
several steps in the ladder signify the various motions of the 
divine power and wisdom. The angels which went up and 
down are the great ministers of God's Providence, by 
whom he manages all things here below, and who are never 
idle, but always in motion to succour and assist the servants 
of God. Their ascending shews their going to receive the 
divine orders and commands, and their descending the exe- 
cution of them. Or, to speak more particularly of Jacob's 
present condition, one sffgntfietrtiieir safe conduct of him in 
his journey to Padan-fcram, and the other their bringing of 
him home again. Above the whole appeared the Almighty, 
as the immoveable director of all events ; from whom all 
things proceed as the first cause, and return as the last 
end."* 

When Jacob awoke, the awful impression of this vision 
remained perfect in his mind. He had received a manifes- 
tation of the divine presence, and he felt a holy dread at the 
idea that this was the peculiar place where the Majesty of 
heaven held communion with the earth. Though the visita- 
tion was full of love and promise, yet there was something 
in it so awful and tremendous that it made Jacob afraid, 
and he " said, how dreadful is this place ! This is none 
other than the house of God ; and this is the gate of 
heaven."! 

Now, if such merciful communications between God and 
man are awful, and fill the souls of the righteous with ** fear 
and trembling," how shall the ungodly and sinners abide 
the visitation of the Almighty ? How will they appear when 
the descending Majesty of heaven shall come in judgment, 
seated in the clouds, and surrounded by millions of glorious 
angels ready to execute his commands ? Let this solemn 
consideration have a deep impression upon our minds, and 
make us earnest to secure the divine favour while the ladder 

* Maimonides More Nevochim. fGen. xxrni, 1~. 
M 



§0 SCRIPTURE BIOGRAPHf. 

of mercy, or the redemption wrought out for us, by Je^us 
Christ, remains open to admit sinners into the M gates of 
heaven." 

Jacob, in a grateful and devout spirit, consecrated this fa«> 
voured spot by setting up " a stone for a pillar" upon the 
top of some other stones which he had gathered into a heap, 
as a monument of God's mercy to him. This place he 
called Bethel, which signifies the " house of God ;" and to 
render the consecration of it complete, he took oil and pour- 
ed it thereon ; a ceremony very remarkable, and afterwards 
admitted into the ritual of Moses. Prophets priests, and 
kings were all anointed with oil among the Jews as types of 
Messiah, which word, as well as its correspondent Greek 
one Christ, signifies the Anointed. Hence it is that the 
psalmist, prophesying of the Redeemer, thus describes him : 
<k The Lord thy God hath anointed thee with the oil of glad- 
ness above thy fellows."* 

The next religious act which Jacob performed at this 
consecrated place was a solemn vow, that if God would 
protect and preserve him in his journey, so that he might 
return back to his father's house, he would suffer no ido- 
latry in his family, and that this spot where the pillar stood 
should be dedicated to the worship of the living God, to 
whom also the tenth of his property should be devoted. 

From hence Jacob set forward with a gladdened heart 
towards Mesopotamia, and we read of nothing else that 
befel him till ht- came to the well of Haran, where he met 
■with some shepherds tending their nocks, of whom he en- 
quired concerning his uncle. l - And he said unto them, is 
he well ? And they said he is well : and behold, Rachel his 
daughter cometh with the sheep " While he was thus con- 
versing with the shepherds, his cousin drew near to the 
well with her flock, and Jacob instantly with a natural po- 
liteness and aff ction, went w - and rolled the stone from the 
well's mouth, and watered the flock of Laban his mother's 
brother."! The incident is beautifully picturesque. The 
female characters in this early part of the scripture history 
are all represented as engaged in domestic employments, 
when they are brought into particular notice. Sarah, at 
the entertainment of the angels, made cakes with her own 
hands, and baked them ujjon the hearth ; Rebekah was dis- 
covered by Eiiczer in the act of drawing water for her bra* 

* Ps. xlv. 7. f Gen. xxix. % 1@. - 



JACOB. 91 

therms household ; and Rachel, the beautiful and beloved 
wife of Jacob, appears tending her father's sheep. 

What an instructing lesson do not these instances afford to 
the fair sex, not to be above those employments Which are 
eminently adapted to render them ki helps meet for their 
husbands." In the early ages, and among the most en- 
lightened people, females of the highest rank applied them- 
selves to domestic occupations, and were not ashamed to be 
found at the loom and the distaff, Was Rt-chel hurt at be- 
ing discovered in the dress of a shepherdess by Jacob ? or 
did he think the less favourably of his tair cousin in meeting 
her thus at the well of Haran ? On the contrary a mutual 
aff ction appears to have been excited by the interview, and 
the obliging gallantry of the stranger, no doubt, made a 
favourable impression at once upon the heart of Rachel. 
But when the ebullitions of joy at this meeting brought 
grateful tears from his eyes, and he discovered himself to her 
as the son of Rcbekah, Rachel, full of eager gladness, ran 
home to inform her father, while Jacob remained in charge 
of the flock. 

Laban on hearing that his sister's son was arrived, ran 
to meet him, and welcomed him to his house with great 
apparent affection. Jacob honestly informed his uncle of 
all that had passed in his father's family, and, consequently, 
the reason of his coming to Padan-aram, at the same time 
offering to abide there as his servant. Laban readily ac- 
cepted this tender of service, but insisted on paying him 
wages, saying, " because thou art my brother, shouldst 
thou, therefore, serve me for nou.ht . ? " 

That love which had taken possession of the heart of Ja- 
cob towards Rachr 1 prompted him to make an offer of serv- 
ing her father for her seven years. The old man, covetous 
enough, saw through the advantages to be made by such a 
bargain, and took Jacob at his word. There was a strik- 
ing difference between the courtship of Isaac and Rebekah, 
and that of Jacob and Rachel. Eliezer, the prudent and 
indefatigable steward of Abraham, intent upon his master's 
present happiness, brought the contract to an issue directly ; 
but Laban, seeing that Jacob was more timorous and easy 
to be imposed upon, contrived to bind him to his service, 
and to make it seem a favour bestowed. Jacob, however, 
was satisfied in serving seven years for Rachel ; and " they 
seemed unto him but a few days for the love he had t© 
her." 



I 



92 SCRIPTURE BIOGRAPHY. 



Love makes time fly swiftly in the presence of the object 
beloved, and supported by a consciousness of being equally 
esteemed in return. Jacob had constant opportunities of 
seeing and admiring the amiable qualities of Rachel, and he 
anticipated with delight the approaching day when he could 
honestly claim the precious reward of his services. With 
what pleasure did he observe the period shorten which was 
to put him in possession of his first love ; and with what 
satisfaction did he find his individual affairs prosper, which 
gave him a fair prospect of being able to maintain his family 
independent of his uncle. When the seven years were 
elapsed he demanded the fulfilment of the contract, to which 
Laban assented, and made a great feast in honour of the 
nuptials % but in the evening the crafty knave placed Leah, 
his eldest daughter, in Jacob's bed, and he knew it not till 
the morning. On discovering the cheat which had been 
put upon him, and which fitly recompensed him for the 
trick he had played upon his father, he remonstrated with 
his uncle, and said, u What is this that thou hast done unto 
me ? Did I not serve with thee for Rachel ? Wherefore 
hast thou then beguiled me ?" The ©ther could only urge 
in his excuse tfc that it was contrary to the custom of the 
country to marry the younger before the first-born," though 
if it was so, he should have mentioned it, as a honest man 
and a considerate father, when Jacob's proposal was first 
made. But Laban had more regard for his own interest than 
for the rules of rectitude, the welfare of his nephew, or even 
the peace of his own children. He was sensible of the value of 
Jacob to him, seeing that his affairs had prospered mightily 
since his arrival, and, therefore, he contrived this expedient 
to retain him in his service. Well knowing that love will 
make large sacrifices to attain its object, he offered Jacob to 
give him Rachel also at the end of the week, on condition 
of his serving him another seven years. Jacob consented, 
and served Laban seven other years for Rachel, " whom he 
loved more than Leah." But this conduct of Jacob was 
not pleasing in the sight of God, and therefore he caused 
Leah, the despised, and, according to the Hebrew phrase, 
hated Leah, to be fruitful, while Rachel remained barren. 
Polygamy was not from the beginning, and certainly never 
had a divine sanction ; and though good men fell into the 
bad practice, yet it was generally followed by circumstances 
which shewed divine displeasure. The peace of Jacob's 



JACOB. 93 

family was soon disturbed. The fertility of Leah excited 
the jealousy ol Rachel, and she at length forgot religion, 
decency, and respect for her husband, by saying, Cw Give 
me children or else I die." Jacob's reply was natural and 
proper, but it was expressed in passion : " And his anger 
was kindled against Rachel, and he said, am I in God's stead, 
■who hath withheld from tnee the fruit of thy womb ?'** 
The good man had not lost his love lor Rachel, though he 
•was angry, but he trembled at the impiety of her demand, 
seeing that the difference between her and Leah was mani- 
festly of divine appointment. 

Rachel, however, is determined upon obtaining her ends 
by some means or other, and, therefore, gives Bilhah, her 
handmaid, to Jacob, thinking to obtain children by her. — 
This concubine did accordingly bear two sons, whom Ra- 
chel called Dan and Napthali. 

To judge of the practice of ancient times, is somewhat 
difficult, and this, among others, appears to have been so 
common as to excite no censure. It was adopted by Sarah, in 
the case of Hagar ; and Leah, copying her sister's example, 
gave Zilpah, her handmaid, to Jacob, by whom he had two 
sons, Gad and Asher. 

But though the objects desired were obtained, yet the 
comfort of the family was wretchedly broken thereby. Jar- 
ring interests produced much dissension, and Jacob expe- 
rienced vexation in the very quarter where he had looked 
for happiness. They who carve for themselves in the af- 
fairs of life without consulting the divine will, must not be 
surprized at meeting with crosses and troubles in the enjoy- 
ment of their eager pursuits. Poor Jacob has not only care 
and labour in Laban's family, but a weight of domestic 
trouble upon his head, through the feuds and jealousies of 
his wives. Leah bears six sons and a daughter to Jacob, 
but every addition to his family only serves to irritate the 
mind, and to provoke the complaints of Rachel. 

At length Providence, which had designs to accomplish 
of the greatest importance, caused Rachel to be the joyful 
mother of a son, to whom, in the fulness of her heart, she 
gave the name of Joseph, saying, " God hath taken away 
my reproach, and the Lord will add unto me another son."j 

About this time, it seems, the term of Jacob's servitude 
ended, and we cannot wonder at the desire which he ex- 

• Gen. xxx. 1, 2. f Gen. xxx. 22. 



94 SCRIPTURE BIOGRAPHY. 

pressed of returning home to his native land. His family 
was multiplied, and God had blessed his industry in propor- 
tion to me increase of his cares. It was, therefore, natural 
for him to think of establishing himself in his own country. 
But JL-ioan was not so willing to part with him. The gi eedy 
old man perceived that his affairs had prospered exceeding- 
ly since Jacob had been with him, and he couid not but ac- 
ksQwiege the fact. u If I have found favour in thine eyes," 
says he, u tarry, \ pray thee ; for 1 have learned by experi- 
ence that the Lord hath blessed me for thy sake" 

After much solicitation Jacob consented to remain, on 
condition of receiving, as ids hire, that part of the produce 
©i the flock , which should be " ring straked, speckled, <iu& 
spotted." X,aban gladly consented to the proposal, thinking 
thai these would certainly be but few in number, judging 
only by past experience, and from his long acquaintance 
with the qualities of cattle. The flocks were accordingly 
separated, those of the description mentioned in the con- 
tract being removed by Laban's sons to the distance ol three 
da_,'s journey ; a precaudon which shews that the owner 
T/as determined his son- in law should possess as little advan- 
tage as possible. But Jacob, instructed from above, 
tw took rods of green poplar, and of the hazel and chesnut 
tree, and peeled white strakes in them, and made the white. 
appear which was in the rods." These he set in the water- 
ing troughs when the flocks came to drink, so that the flocks 
€onceived, and brought forth cattle ring-straked, speckled, 
sand spotted. Bat it is added, that Jacob took care not to 
place the rods before the feeble cattle, only in the way of the 
bese, so that ,k the feebler were Laban's and the stronger Ja- 
cob's." By this device u he increased exceedingly, and 
m .ch cattle, and maid-servants, and men-servants, and 
camels, and asses." Thus the ungenerous, mercenary, and 
deceitful Laban was pu ished at last, even by his over-eager- 
ne&s after riches : for it was not a regard foi Jacob, it was 
not any affection to his daughters and his grandchildren, it 
was not any religious or moral principle that led him to so- 
licit Jacob's continuance ; but it was a sordid and selfish 
wish to avail himself of that worldly blessing which he saw 
resting upon his son-in-law's endeavours. 

The old miser, thought, no doubt, that Jacob's offer was 
aver) foolish one, and pleased himself muc with the ad- 
vantage which he should derive from it. But when he saw 



JACOB. 95 

that the most beautiful of his flocks bro't forth nothing but 
" speckled and spotted young," his envious heart was cor- 
roded, and his countenance soon indicated the dissatisfied^ 
state of his mind. His sons likewise, who appear to have 
inherited all the meanness of their father's temper, began 
to murmur at the success of Jacob, and they said, " He hath 
taken awav all that was our father's ; and of that which was 
our father's hath he gotten all this glory."* 

The condition of Jscob was now more critical than it had 
hitherto been. He was surrounded by a set of jeah us and 
vengeful relations, who hated him for his prosperity, and 
who probably were not averse to any violent measures that 
could be adopted against him. In this state he applied, 
where every person should, to God in prayer. It is pleas- 
ing to see that the increase of worldly good has not made 
Jacob unmindful of that merciful Being who visited and 
comforted him when he was a lonely wanderer in the v\ ilder- 
ness. If the divine direction and support were necessary 
to him in that forlorn condition, how much more so i& it 
now, when he is exposed to numerous temptations arising 
from the cares of a large family, a prodigious accumulation 
of flocks and herds ; and, above all, when he is assailed by 
the calumnies, reproaches, and threats of his envious breth- 
ren ! 

iJut Jacob applies to his GoD before he will take any step 
in this trying exigency ; and he receives this command and 
promise : " Return unto the land of thy fathers, and to thy 
kindred ; and I will be with thee." No man ever consulted 
the direction of heaven without feeling the advantage of it. 
Jacob has now a sure dependence, and therefore, calling his 
wives Leah and Rachel, he relates to them the injurious 
treatment which he had met with from their father, and the 
divine vision which he had received to u return unto the 
land of his kindred." 

The reply of the women shews still more explicitly the 
sordid and unnatural disposition of their father, and they 
said unto Jacob, a Is there yet any portion or inheritance for 
us in our father's house ? Are we not counted of him stran- 
gers ? for he hath sold us, and quite devoured our money." 
What a dreadful thing is it that the desire of riches should 
prevail over all the honourable and the tender principles of 
nature ! The miser neither loves nor is beloved of anv. He 

* Ucn. x-xxi. j, 



m SCRIPTURE BIOGRAPHY.) 

has none of those sweet sensations which prompt to the ex- 
ercise of benevolence, but turns every circumstance and con- 
nexion to selfish gratification. Even parental affection is 
absorbed by the love of riches ; and children shall be sacri- 
ficed, at least their happiness, to the golden image, with 
more than religious earnestness. Laban cared nothing for 
the comfort of his daughters, but, on the contrary, abandon- 
ed them almost to prostitution to add a little more to his 
large possessions. Not only so, but without any concern 
for them or their little ones, he robbed them of their por- 
tions, and their husband of his lawful wages. 

Who then can pity Laban, or who, after contemplating' 
his conduct, can blame Jacob, either for the device he 
adopted, or for his hasty departure from Haran ? 

While Laban was gone to shear his sheep, Jacob took his 
wives and his children, and u all that he had gotten in Pa- 
dan-aram, to go to Isaac his father in the land of Canaan." 
The good man was very scrupulous to take nothing with 
him but what was honestly his own ; but Rachel, less particu- 
lar, made free with her father's images. On this subject much 
speculation has been formed, and many ingenious enquiries 
have been made. 

That Laban had a knowlege of the true God there can be 
no doubt, because he owns him by his name Jehovah, the 
God of Abraham, and the God of Nahor, and the God of 
their father J** but then it was a mere nominal profession, 
without any real affection. This is evident from his charac- 
ter; and it is farther evident from this circumstance of his 
keeping Teraphim, or the images of the gods of the coun- 
try, similar to what the Romans afterwards called Lares, or 
household gods. But why Rachel should take these things 
away is a matter of surprize. Some will have it that she 
did it out of zeal, and to deprive her father of his idolatrous 
objects. This, however, is not so probable as that she 
had some tincture left of the superstition of the country, 
and considered these teraphims as a sort of oracles, which 
might be safely consulted in times of difficulty. 

The flight of Jacob was so dexterously managed, that 
three days elapsed before Laban was informed of it, on 
which he immediately collected a body of his relations, and 
set out in pursuit of the fugitive. No doubt his intention 
was either to bring him back by force, or to put him to 
death j but God, who watched over his servant, and com- 



JACOB* &z 

aaanded him to adopt the measure which he had taken, ap* 
peared to Laban in a dream by night, and warned him 
against the slightest injury to Jacob, either in word or deed. 
The next morning Laban overtook his nephew in Mount 
Gilead ; and as «oon as they met, the hoary hypocrite began 
to put on a friendly guise, and to remonstrate with him «n 
the abruptness of his departure. The divine interdict, how- 
ever, pressed powerfully upon his mind, and he was afraid 
to disobey it ; but though he could not injure Jacob, he 
would fain accuse him of acting ungratefully. His language 
is artful, and, without considering the character of the man, 
it might appear just ; but Satan himself can argue well, and 
puc on the appearance of innocence. u And Laban said to 
Jacob, What hast thou done, that thou hast stolen away una- 
wares to me, and carried away my daughters as captives ta- 
ken with the sword ? Wherefore didst thou flee away se- 
cretly, and steal away from me ? And didst not tell me, that 
I might have sent thte away with mirth and with songs, with 
tabret, and with harp ? And hast not suffered me to kiss my 
sons and my daughters ? Thou hast now done foolishly in so 
doing."* All this might lead an inexperienced bystander 
into a belief that Laban was a very kind-hearted father, and 
that Jacob had acted towards him in a very rude and un- 
grateful manner. But Laban knew well enough that father- 
ly affection had no influence upon his mind in thus hastening 
after Jacob. The truth will come out at last whatever craft 
may be used to disguise it ; and therefore Laban, perhaps, 
unwittingly, adds, u that it was in his power to hurt his nephew 
at that moment ; but, says he, the God of your father spake 
unto me yesternight, saying, Take heed that thou speakest 
not to Jacob either good or bad." 

After this declaration of his belief in the true God, who 
would expect that his very next enquiry should be after his 
idols ? Yet so it is, " Though thou wouldest needs be gone," says 
he, " wherefore hast thou stolen my gods r" He dreaded the 
power of the God of Jacob, but still harbours a close affec- 
tion for wretched images which could not protect them- 
selves. Jacob firmly but modestly pleads his excuse, and 
spurning at the mean charge of having robbed Laban of 
stuff which he abhorred, bids him make a strict search 
throughout all the tents. On coming into that where Ra- 
chel was, she artfully excused herself from rising to salute 

* G«n. xxxi. 25, &c: 



$t SCRIPTURE BIOGRAPHlT. 

her father, it a being with her after the manner of women j»$ 
but the fact was, the teraphim were concealed beneath the 
furniture on which she sate. 

The enquiry being ended, and no gods to be found. Ja- 
cob conceived himself warranted in expostulating with La- 
ban on his ungenerous, suspicious, and unnatural conduct. 
A nobler speech can hardly be found any where, than that of 
the honest patriarch on this occasion. " And Jacob answer- 
ed and said to Laban, What is my trespass, what is my sin, 
that thou hast so hotly pursued after me ? Whereas thou 
hast searched ail my stuff, what hast thou found of all thy 
household stuff? Set it here before my brethren and thy 
brethren, that they may judge betwixt us both. This twen- 
ty years have I been with thee ; thy ewes and thy she-goats 
have not cast their young, and the rams of thy flock have I 
not eaten. That which was torn of beasts I brought not un- 
to thee, I bare the loss of it ; of my hand didst thou require 
it, whether stolen by oay or stolen by night. Thus I was : in the 
day the drought consumed me, and the frost by night ; and my 
sleep departed from my eyes. Thus have I been twenty 
years in thy house ; I served thee fourteen years for thy 
two daughters, and six years for thy cattle ; and thou hast 
changed my wages ten times. Except the God of my fa- 
ther, the God of Abraham, and the fear of Isaac had been 
wirh me, surely thou hadst sent me away now empty ; but 
God hath seen mine affliction, and the labour of my hands 3 
and rebuked thee yesternight " 

To these allegations Laban could make no reply. He 
seems to have been confounded and softened by the honesty 
of Jacob, and, therefore, proposed to enter into a covenant 
with him on that spot, according to the custom of the age. 
Jacob readily consented, and set up a heap of stones, with 
one upright in the midst, as a pillar. Then Jacob offered 
sacrifice upon the mount, and afterwards all parties partook 
of a feast, in the nature of a covenant of peace and of amity. 
Early the next morning Laban took leave of his sons and 
of 'lis daughters, and returned homewards, while Jacob, full 
of joy and gratitude, hastened on towards Canaan. 

He had scarcely quitted Mount Gilead before he was, met 
by the angels of God, and, on account of their number; he 
called the place Mahanaim % which signifies two hosts. Those 
heavenly messengers appeared, doubtless, to assure bim of 
the divine favour and protection, and the name which he 



JACOB. M 

gave to the spot indicates his belief that their mission hid 
his safeguard for its o ; ject. Indeed Lit this moment he stood 
in need of the interposition of Heaven, for he was approach- 
ing the residence of his brother Esau, who wa» become the 
head of a nu nerous and powerful people. Jacob naturally 
concluded that the resentment of Esau was not so entirely 
su Klued as that no spares of it remained ready to flame into 
fury if they should chance to meet. He knew that the in- 
jury which he had done to his brother was great, and 
heightened by many aggravating circumstances, on which 
account he could not but iear that an advantage would oe 
taken to revenge trie whole upon him now he was returning 
homewards through his territory. To conceal his march 
was impossible, for his retinue was large and his progress 
slow. He had recourse, therefore, to an expedient which 
was prudent and conciliating. He sent messengers before 
him to announce his approach, and to deliver a summary 
account of himself and his proceedings in the most respectful 
terms. When the messengers returned to Jacob, they ituorm- 
cd him thaf they had delivered the message, but that Esau, 
instead of sending an answer by them was coming himself to 
" meet him, and four hundred men with him." This in- 
telligence greatly alarmed Jacob, for he had no doubt that 
his brother had hostile designs against him, since he was 
coming with so powerful a train. To make the best, how- 
ever of his circumstances, he divided his ttainimo two 
companies, saying, u If Esau come to the one conpain a.td 
smite it, then the oiher company which is left shall escape " 
In this trying situation he addressed the following prayer to 
heaven, at the close of which he modestl) urges that pro- 
mise upon which he had been enabled to encounter so many 
perils hitherto. " O God of my father Abraham, and 
God of my father Isaac, the Lord which saidst unto me, 
Return unto thy country and to thy kindred, and I will ieal 
well with thee ; I am not worthy of the least of all thy mer- 
cies and of all the truth which thou hast shewed unto thy 
servant: for with my staff I passed over this Jordan, and 
now I am become two bands. Deliver me I pray thee, fi o:n 
the hand of my brother, from the hand of Esau ; tor 1 fear 
him, lest he will come and smite me and the mother with the 
children. And thou saidst I will surely do thee good, and 
make thy seed as the sand of the sea, which cannot be num- 
bered for multitude." 



f 09 SCRIPTURE BIOGRAPHY. 

When he had ended his prayer he quitted his camp, and 
prepared some valuable presents of cattle, which he sent in 
front of his company, with orders to the servants who had 
the charge of them, that if they were asked to whom 
they belonged their answer should be, %t They be thy ser- 
vant Jacob's ; it is a present unto my lord Esau, and behold 
also he is behind us." Having thus sent forward his pre- 
sent as a peace-offering, Jacob arranged the remainder of 
his train in excellent order, reserving, however, his beloved 
Rachel and her son Joseph in the rear, that if his brother 
should come as an enemy they might have some chance of 
escaping. 

The whole procession being safely passed over the Jabbok, 
a small river which falls into the Jordan, Jacob remained 
behind, most probably employed in prayer and supplication. 
While he was thus alone he was encouraged by an angel in 
human form, whom at first, probably, he took for one of 
Esau's attendants, and with whom he wrestled till the dawn 
of day. Through the whole of this extraordinary contest 
the strength of the patriarch was so great that thf angel pre- 
vailed not, insomuch that at last " he touched the hollow 
of Jacob's thigh, so that he haulted. When the morning 
came the stranger said let me go ; and he said I will not let 
thee go except thou bless me." By this it seems he had 
now discovered the supernatural quality of his antagonist, 
and therefore in faith claimed his blessing. The angel, in 
reply, asked his name, which he changed to Israel, signi- 
fying a mighty prince, or a prince with God, and the reason 
is added, " For as a prince thou hast power with God and 
with men, and thou shalt prevail.'* 

Jacob was desirous of knowing the name of this wonder- 
ful being, but the other checked his curiosity by saying, 
44 Wherefore is it that thou dost ask after my name ? And 
he blessed him there." On the departure of the angel the 
patriarch filled with greatful astonishment, called the place 
where his memorable interview happened Peniel, u For," 
says he, " I have seen God face to face, and my life is pre- 
served."* 

The design of this conflict was to strengthen the faith of 
the patriarch, and to assure him that he had nothing to fear 
from his brother Esau. Before he met the angel his mind 
was greatly distressed with apprehensions ; but now he is 

* G<jn, xssii. 3Q 



jAeoB. to* 

cheered and satisfied that the " shield of Abraham" is his 
defence also. 

The prophet Hosea gives this comment upon the circum- 
stance ; " By his strength Jacob had power with God : 
yea, he had power over the angel and prevailed ; he wept, 
and made supplication unto him."* 

When the sun was up " he haulted," and on that account 
a it became an established custom among the Israelites not 
to eat of the sinue which shrank, which is upon the hollow of 
the thigh" 

On the same day he met his brother, to whom he paid the 
respect which, in those days, was customary to sovereign 
princes, " bowing himself to the ground seven times."-— » 
Esau's heart was melted into tenderness on perceiving his 
brother. Resentment gave way to the feelings of nature, 
and he fell on his neck, and kissed him, and they wept. 

He who blessed Jacob in the way, touched the heart of 
Esau, and changed his evil purposes into love and kindness. 
The once divided brothers unite in tender embrace ; and 
they who separated years ago, under circumstances the most 
unfavourable and unsocial, now meet in affection and weep 
for joy. The dismal fears of Jacob are dispersed, and the 
angry passions of Esau are lost. " Oh ! how good and ho w 
pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity !"f 
What a beautiful and what an instructive picture is this ! 
How does it reproach the unbrotherly conduct of those 
persons who, for petty causes, for trifling affronts, or through 
mercenary motives, entertain resentment against their near- 
est relations ! Esau had some grounds for reproving Jacob, 
but no sooner does he see him than the tide of natural affec- 
tion rushes upon his heart,- and all hatred and all malice are 
obliterated at once. Mutual civilities and presents having 
passed between the reconciled brothers they separated, Esau 
returning to his residence in mount Seir, and Jacob jour- 
neying towards Canaan, where, on his arrival, he built 
himself a house, and made boodis for his cattle, for which 
reason the place was called Succoth, which signifies booths. 
After this he removed to the neighbourhood of Shechem, 
where he purchased a field for a hundred pieces of money. 
At this place he resolves to settle,, and, accordingly, erected 
an altar for divine worship, which he dedicated to God, 
41 the God of Israel." But human comforts are uncertain, 

* Kos. ai. 3, 4. | Ps. cxsxm. £ 



i02 SCRIPTURE BIOGRAPHY. 

and when 3 man has, in his own imagination, conquered the 
principal difficulties of life, and attained " a pLice of rest" ; 
for the remainder of his days, an unexpected evil will a< ise 
and destroy all his pleasing expectations. Jacob has got a 
house and an estate in the land of promise, but in the midst 
of the satisfaction thence arising, a keen stroke of domestic 
affliction attacks him, and he is forced again to a pilgrimage 
state. His daughter Dinah, attracted by the gaieties of 
Shechem, went thither at the celebration of some great fes- 
tival, which probably was of an idolatrous kind. This is 
the account of Josephus, and it is a natural illustration of 
that given in the sacred text, where it is said, that •* she 
went to see the daughters of the land;" Those females 
were idolators, and it did not become the daughter of Jacob 
to solicit the acquaintance of such persons. There cou d 
be no chance of doing any good amongst them ; but there 
was too great a probability that her own manners might be 
contaminated by their conversation. The curiosity of Di- 
nah was fatal to her own peace, and to that of her venerable 
father. The son of Hamor, king of Shechem, became 
enamoured with her charms, and, giving way to licentious 
passion, he carried her off, and wrought her disgrace.— 
After this violence he probably repented of the act, and de- 
sired his father to meditate with Jacob, that he might obtain 
her for a wife. Hamor condescended to the requ st of his 
son, and proposed the matter to Jacob ; but the brothers of 
Dinah took up the cause of their sister, and would not con- 
sent, unless the prince and his subjects changed their ? eli- 
gion, and became circumcised. To this Hamor and his 
people agreed ; and there appeared every sign of an honour- 
able termination of this unhappy affair. But the whole vvas 
an abominable artifice of Simeon and Levi, Jacob's sons, 
who, with a chosen band of servants and friends, entered 
the city in the night, and put all the males to the swofd, 
Hamor and his son not excepted. 

After thev had committed this atrocious crime, and plun- 
dered the place, they carried off their sister in triumph, and 
returned to their father, who was struck with grief at the 
horrid deed, and justly feared that it would rouse all the in- 
habitants of the land against him. So deep, indeed, was the 
impression made upon his mind of this transaction, trut he 
remembered it upon his death-bed, and expressed his re- 
sentment of it in terms that amounted to an execrcation of 



JACOB. 303 

the perpetrators. " Simeon and Levi are brethren, instru- 
ments of cruelty are in their habitations; O, my suul, come 
not thou into their secret, unto their assembly mint honour 
be not thou united ! for in their anger they slew a man, and 
in their sett-will they digged down a wall. Cursed be their 
anger, for it was fierce ; and their wrath, ior it was cruel; 
1 will divide them in Jacob, and scatter them in Israel."* 
It was natural for Jacob to apprehend that a confederacy 
would be formed among the Ca>;aanites against him ; but 
M tile terror ot God was upon the dues that were round 
about them, flftd they did not pursue after the sons of Jacob." 

From this place the patriarch moved, at the divine com- 
mand, to Bethel ; but first he resolutely purged his family of 
all their idols and fragments of superstition which they had 
picked up in their communion with the heathenish tribes. 
T.iese things he broke to pieces, and hid them under an oak 
near Shechem, because say some of the Jewish commenta- 
tors, he had not time wholly to destroy them, being in haste 
to obey the injunction he had received from God. 

Does not this little incident tend to throw some light up- 
on the judgments v ith which the good man had lately been 
visited ? Should not a pious worshipper of the true God, 
and one to whom had been given such gracious manifesta- 
tions, have been more careful of the principles and conduct 
of his household ? Ought Jacob to have permitted super- 
stitious images and Canaanitish fashions in his family, the 
tendency of which was to corrupt the minds and to alienate 
the aff. ctions of his family from the God of Abraham . ? It 
seems from this act of Jacob, on his departure from She- 
chem, that he was conscious of having acted improperly, 
and that he had be^n guilty of too easy a compliance with 
the vain desires of his wives and .children. 

Having fulfilled this duty he sets out for Bethel, the ever- 
memorable place where, when he fled from the angry face 
of Ins brother Esau, he experienced the goodness of the 
Lord, and received that gracious promise which he had seen 
eminently fulfilled. . 

On the patriarch's arrival in Bethel, the Almighty renew- 
ed his covenant with him in person, and Jacob erected a pil- 
lar there to commemorate the circumstance, and consecrated 
the s'ime. b) pouring oil then on. Here Deborah, the nurse 
of Rebekah, died, and was buried beneath an oak, which 

* Gen. slix. 5, 6, 7. 



104 SCRIPTURE BIOGRAPHY. 

was called the oak of weeping, to express the sorrow 
occasioned by the loss of a faithful domestic. This was the 
prelude to a more distressing event, and to a mourning far 
more grievous ; for, as they journeyed from Bethel, Rachel 
was taken in labour, and died, leaving an infant son, to 
whom, as she was expiring, the tender mother gave the em- 
phatic name of Ben-oni, the son of my sorroxv, but his fa- 
ther afterwards altered it to Benjamin, the son of my right 
hand. 

After he had committed the remains of his beloved spouse 
to the earth, and erected a pillar of remembrance over her 
grave, Jacob pursued his journey ; but shortly afterwards he 
experienced another wound, occasioned by an incestuous in- 
tercourse between Reuben, his eldest son, and Bilhah, the 
handmaid of Rachel. Thus annoyed and affiicted, the pa- 
triarch bent his course to his father's house, where, by the 
good providence of God, he arrived in safety, after an ab- 
sence of many years, chequered by a great variety of trials 
and deliverances, troubles, and blessings. His grief for the 
loss of Rachel and for the evil conduct of his children, was 
alleviated by the sight of his aged father, who was now in 
his one hundred and sixty-third year. As no mention is 
made of Rebekah, perhaps she was alreadynumbered with the 
dead ; but if not, what must have been her delight at holding 
once more in her aged arms the child of her love, her parti- 
ality and apprehensions. Jacob is returned in health and in- 
creased in riches, with a train of children ; and, to render 
the happy circumstance still more delightful, Esau is no long- 
er his enemy but his kind and affectionate friend. 

Jacob seems now to have found a resting-place after a, 
long course of trouble ; but he yet has more trials, and sharp 
ones, to endure in his pligrimage. All his sorrows are do- 
mestic, and originate in the bad tempers and conduct of his 
own family. His flocks and his herds have wonderfully in- 
creased, and his ten elder sons are brought up to the pasto* 
ral employment. 

These sons of Jacob, were men of very vicious dispositions, 
and their actions were so shameful, that Joseph, who assist- 
ed them in their employment reported the life they led to his 
father Here opens the beautiful story of this wonderful 
youth, in whom we are interested the first moment he ap- 
pears in view. He is now in his seventeenth year, the son 
&f the beloved Rachel, beautiful, candid, and pious. Is it 



JACOB. 10.5 

then to be wondered at that " Jacob should love Joseph 
more than all his children ?" The permanent goo<! qualities 
of the youth, when contrasted with the ungoverned, licen- 
tious tempers and habits of his brethren, warrented tht par- 
tiality But there is a parental preference, which may be 
commendable, and yet when indulged the same may become 
culpable and injurious. In this partiality to Joseph are sown 
the seeds of numerous troubles to Jacob and his family, all, 
ho .vever, designed by Providence to bring forth good. Ja- 
cob, in the fondness of his heart, makes Joseph a coat of 
many colours.^ This was an open manifestation of his su- 
perior regard for this lad, and it is not, therefore, surprizing 
that the other sons of Jacob should hate him. This distinc- 
tion was imprudent, for it tended to inflame the envious pas- 
sions of the elder brethren, and to excite in the mind of the 
favourite, vanity and pride. 

Joseph was not altogether unaffected by this mark of his 
father's affection, this " gaudy coat." He had some re- 
markable dreams, which indicated that he should attain a 
kind of sovereignty over his brethren, to whom, with ex- 
ultation, he related them, as he did also to his father. The 
patriarch was not pleased with his son for relating these ex- 
traordinary visions, but then he saw there was more in them 
than the mere sportings of fancy, and the wandering chi- 
meras of the imagination. Joseph's brethren envied him the 
more for his dreams, but his father observed the saying, and 
watched the event. 

Tue elder sons of Jacob fed their flocks as far from He- 
bron as Shechem, probably on account of the excellency of 
the pasturage, and to preserve the land, which their father 
bought in that country of Hamor. Being desirous to know- 
how it fared with them, the patriarch sent thither his fav- 
ourite, his beloved Joseph, little thinking that he should 
see him no more for many years. Joseph leaves his father's 
house never to return to it again, and goes in quest of his 
brethren. When he approached the place where they kept 
their flocks, the inhuman wretches began to give vent to their 
malice, and to plot his death. Their very first thought was 
murder, but this, through the persuasion of Reuben, was 
prevented ; and at length, by the advice of Judah, they 
sold him to some Ishmaelites, who carried him to Egypt, 
and disposed of him as a slave. 

• Gen. xxxyU. 3, 




tm SCRIPTURE BIOGRAPHY. 

There we leave the innocent and oppressed Joseph to seel: 
the merciless crew in the wilderness. Not know ing what 
account to give to their father of his beloved child, and 
fearful that he would suspect them of some foul practice* 
they had recourse to an artifice, which shews their depravity 
in the strongest colours. Had they contrived some tale, by 
which Jacob might yet entertain a hope of seeing Joseph 
again, we might be disposed to soften our resentment to- 
wards them ; but the villains, disregarded the wounded 
feelings of their father, carried him his darling's coat dyed 
in blood, and asked whether he knew it, with all the in- 
difference imaginable, saying, at the same time, that they had 
found it. Jacob knew the gaudy garment, the fatal source 
of so much mischief, too well to mistake it ; but he had no 
suspicion that the bearers of it were mocking him with a 
fictious tale, or that they had deprived him of his beloved 
child. And " he knew it, and said it is my son's coat ' 9 
an evil beast hath devoured him : Joseph is, without doubt 
rent in pieces. And Jacob rent his clothes, and put sack- 
cloth upon his loins, and mourned for his son many days. 
A id all his sons and all his daughters rose up to comfort 
Iiim, but he refused to be comforted : and he said, For I 
will go down into the grave unto my son mourning."* 

The grief of Jacob must have been intense, but with 
what face could his deceitful sons affect to administer com- 
fort to him, while they withheld the only circumstance which 
Could give balm unto his heart ? If they had said, " Thy son 
iiveth," but " he is in the house of bondage," the cloud 
of sorrow, though heavy, would have broken, and some 
faint rays of hope would have cheered the heart of the af- 
flicced Jacob. But the mighty secret, and the abundant 
consolation must be deferred till the workings of Providence 
have attained their proper point. The whole counsel was 
of God. though wicked men were following their own de- 
vices and though the righteous, for a time, were in sorrow 
and affliction. 

Oi Jacob we read little during the period of his separation 
from his beloved Joseph ; but, to add to his trouble, his son 
Judah about this time, married a Canaanitish woman, and 
had afterwards an incestuous connexion with his own daugh- 
ter-in-law Tamar ; circumstances peculiarly offensive to the 
<pious patriarch. 

*Gen, xxxvii. 34, 35. 



JACOB. 107 

At length the Almighty brings on a visitation of judg- 
mem upon the country where Jacob lived. A famine arose 
in the land, which was so severe, ;hat the inhabitants vv ere 
driven to the greatest extremity, and Jacob's family partook 
of the distress. Hearing that there was corn in Egypt, the 
patriarch sent his ten sons thither to purchase a supply ior 
their sustenance. There, ho * ever, they were treated as spies 
by the intelligent governor, who, to prove their sincerity, 
required them to bring down benjamin, their younger bro - 
thcr, whom tney had mentioned as being with their father in. 
Canaan. This governor, who was no other than Joseph, 
detained Simeon as a pledge for their return, according to 
the stipulation ; but how hardly was Jacob brought to give 
his consent.' What a cutting stroke is this to his already 
lacerated heart ! u Me ye have bereaved of my children : 
Joseph is not, and Simeon is not, and ye will take ijenjamiit 
away, all these things are against me." 

The persuasions of Reuben were ineffectual. Jacob was 
deaf to all his entreaties, and expressed himseli in these 
terms of genuine affection : %i My son shall not go down 
witii you ; for his brother is dead, and he is left alone : 
if mischief befal him in the way in which ye go, then 
shall ye bring down mv gray hairs with sorrow to the grave." 

liut when their supply of corn was exhausted, and ari* 
other journey to Egypt beeame necessary, Judah plainly 
told his father that they would not go down without Ben- 
jamin, because the man had said, " Ye shall not see my 
face except your brother be with you." Compelled by the 
necessity of the case, after many painful struggles of nature, 
Jacob gives his consent, but prudently directs his sons to 
carry a present with them to the man to ensure his favour. — 
In the fervour of piety he dismisses them with this prayer : 
" God Almighty give you mercy before the man, that he 
may send away your other brother and Benjamin. If i am 
bereaved of my children, 1 am bereaved." A mild spirit of 
resignation to the divine will at last took possession of his 
heart, and he yielded his children and himself to the Al- 
mighty. Good old Jacob passes manv a uishful day ia 
Canaan while his sons are in Egypt. Oh ! how anxiously 
does the venerable man look towards the track they have 
taken, to see them return with Simeon and with Benjamin ! 
And were not his prayers constantly and fervently addressed 
on the behalf of his absent children, that God would both 



%08 SCRIPTURE BIOGRAPHY. 

preserve them in their going out, and in their coming home ? 
Doubtless the alcar was not forsaken, where, at the head of 
his remaining family, he supplicated and blessed the God of 
his fathers ; nor were the closet duties omitted, in which he 
poured out his soul to tne lather ol mercies ! 

He might, and doubtless did, hope to embrace his Benja- 
min once more, and to see his family collected around his 
dying bed : but there was one blessing reserved for him, 
which Jac^b was not yet permitted to know or to expect. 
Joseph, as we have seen, was not out of his tender recollec- 
tion, but could he entertain the remotest idea that he was in 
the land of the living, and that there was a chance of his 
beholding him yet again ? How mysterious are the ways 
of Providence, and literally past finding out ! Jacob, though 
he could by divine inspiration predict the precise lot and 
circumstances of each of the tribes j and particularly utter a 
precis-, prophecy with respect to the lineage and time of the 
Messiah, knew nothing of what was passing in Egypt. He 
e. gt rly waited for the return of his sons ; and when they 
came back, how satisfied, how grateful is the good old pa- 
triarch at seeing Simeon, and embracing Bi njamin. How 
eagerly does he enquire of them the particulars of what had 
happened to them in their journey, and the treatment they 
had received from the sagacious and rigid governor in 
Egypt! But that governor is Joseph. Yes ; the sons of 
Jacob are prompt to inform their father that this wonderful 
man this seemingly severe, but Kind, forgiving, and exailed 
viceroy, is no other than his beloved Joseph.! it is too 
tnuch ; — the tide of blessings runs too strongly upon the 
heart, and Jacob faints away. The tale appeared too mar- 
vellous to be credited at first, but when the waggons came 
in sight, which were dispatched by the governor to bring 
his father and his family to Egypt, he could no longer with- 
hold his belief. His spirit revives at the sight of these ob- 
jects, which convince him of the joyful truth, and he ex- 
claims : " It is enough ; Joseph, my son, is yet alive: I 
v/iii go and see him before I die."# 

He hastily gathers his property together, and sets out 
on a journey, which, to one of his great age, was painful 
and difficult. But what are dangers and difficulties, and fa- 
tigue, and pain to him who has a beloved object in view, 
which has been long given up as irrecoverable i On coming 

* Gen. xlv. 28. 



JACOB. 109 

to Beer-sheba, the place where his father Isaac once resided, 
and had been favoured with p: culi.tr manif< stations oi the 
divine favour, the patriarch stopped to worship that God 
who had been so gracious to him, and perhaps to wan his 
direction, whether it was his will that he should leave the 
land of promise aid go into Eg\pt. God did indeed < ppear 
to him in this place, and not onl) permitted him to fitusue 
his journey; but added a promi e that he would U with 
him there,' and that his posterity should there become a 
great nation. 

Thus encouraged, Jacob went down into Egypt, wheiehe 
was met by Joseph, uho * % fell on his neck, and wept on his 
neck a good while." The tendrrness oi this scene might 
have been described in more copious expressions, but the 
simplicity with which the sacred writer has touched it, far 
exceeds all the boasted elegance of language. The first 
words of Jacob unto Joseph, after a long and pathetic silence, 
were u Now let me die, since I have seen thy face, because 
thou art yet alive." 

So great was Joseph in the esteem of Pharaoh, that the 
king assigned the test province in Egypt, which was Goshen, 
for the residence of Jacob and his family Joseph intro- 
duced his father to his royal master, and the patriarch, in his 
priestly character blessed Pharaoh, or. as it should seem, 
supplicated the divine favour for him. The venerable ap- 
pearance and the pious demeanour ol Jacob, led the mo- 
narch to enquire his age ; to which he replied, wi the days of 
the years of my pilgrimage are a hundred and thirty years ; 
few and evil have the days of the years of my life been, 
and have not attained unto the days of the ^ ears of the life 
of my fathers in the days ol their pilgrimage."^ This ans- 
wer of the patriarch is not the language of discontent, but 
the solemn reflection of a man who had experienced a large 
share of trouble, and kn<: w that the whole of human liie is 
indeed but ki a vain shew." 

Jacob spent the remainder of his days in tranquillity and 
prosperity, enjoying the societ) oi his beloved child seven- 
teen years. The close of his life was a happy calm, after a 
varied and very troublesome course. >l But Israel must 
■die." There is no exemption from this stroke, and matters 
little where it happens, whether at hone or in a strangt land, 
whether at Hebron or in Egypt, to him who, with Jacob, has 

* Gen. xlvii. 9. 



ifO SCRIPTURE BIOGRAPHY". 

the divine presence to bless him in his dying hours. The 
patriarch perceiving that his dissolution was i»ot far off, sent 
for Joseph, and bound him by a solemn promise to bury him 
with his fathers m Canaan. Shortly after this Jacob was ta- 
ken sick, and it being reported to Joseph, he hastened to 
the bed-side of his father, taking with him his two sons, 
jManasseh and Ephraim. On hearing that his dutiful son 
was come, Jacob exerted all his strength, and sat up in his 
bed to receive him, and to impart to him that blessing 
which, in the spirit of prophecy, he was commissioned to 
bequeath. He next blessed the infant children of Joseph, 
but, as he placed his hands upon their heads, he crossed 
them, putting his right upon Ephraim the younger, and his 
left upon Manasseh the elder. Joseph wished to correct the 
mistake of his father, but Jacob persisted, being guided by 
a divine impulse, and he gave to each of the lads a portion 
in Israel, at the same time declaring that the younger should 
be greater than the elder. 

When this interview was ended, Jacob caused all his sons 
to assemble r >und his dying-bed, that he might inform them 
what would befal them in the last days. Or aii the predic- 
tions which he pronounced with his expiring breath, the 
most remarkable and the most interesting to us is that to 
Judah. u The sceptre," says he, " shall not depart from, 
Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shilok 
come, and unto him shall the gathering of the people 
fee."* 

One grand object was in the mind of the patriarch, as it 
had been the contemplation of his predecessors, even the 
illustrious deliverer who should arise in after-ages to redeem 
Israel, and restore the wreck of the fail. The promised 
seed was the constant object offahhf.il expectation ; and or- 
dinances, institutions and predictions, all had an allusion, po- 
sitive or incidental, to the Messiah. Hitherto the promise 
had been confined generally to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, 
that from them the glorious blessing should arise ; but now, 
under the divine direction, the dying patriarch foretells ir* 
what tribe, and at what period the great Restorer shall come. 
The sovereign and legislative authority shall continue in the m 
possession of Judah, till from that tribe Siiiloh appear, and 
then the royalty -nust cease. This was exaciy fulfilled, for 
the tribe of Judah possessed legislative power till the time 



JACOB, m 

of Christ, and from that period the Jewish nation have nei- 
ther hnd dominion nor priesthood. The Messiah was the 
gatherer of the people in the literal sense of the words, for 
him the middle wall of partition has been broken down, and the 
Gentiles have been admitted in communion with him as the 
spiritual head of his church. Jesus Christ, therefore, must 
cither be the true Shiloh, or the prophecy has failed, for the 
Jews cannot prove that they have had anything like regal or le- 
gislative power sin<ce his crucifixion. When they were so clam- 
orous for the execution of Jesus, and Pilate jeeringly told 
them to take the law into theii;own hands, they shrunk fear- 
fullv from the proposal, and acknowleged their slavish state, 
bv saving " It is not lawful for us to put any man to death."* 7 
Here then we have a glorious proof of the veracity of scrip- 
ture, and an incontestible evidence of the truth of the chris- 
tian religion. 

As the patriarch was addressing his children, he exclaim** 
cd, " I have waited for thy salvation, O Lord ! n This 
faith in the Saviour was that which had hitherto supported 
him in his long and troublesome pilgrimage, and now that 
he is come to the close of it, a clearer manifestation of this 
great object is made to him, so that what was before obscurely 
beheld and but dimly seen in the vast distance, was now 
brought home to his mind, and rendered fully evident to 
him. What he had so long waited for in humble, pious 
hope, is brought nigh to cheer him in his last moments, and 
he can sav. as Simeon afterwards did, " Now, Lord, let thy* 
servant depart in peace, according to thy word, for mine 
eyes have seen thy salvation."f 

When Jacob had finished blessing his sons, he charged 
them to bury him in the cave of Machpelah, with Abraham 
and Isaac ; and *' then gathering his feet into the bed, he 
yielded up the ghost, and was gathered unto his people." 

Joseph having closed the eyes of his father, and wept 
over him, set about fulfilling the promise he had made to 
him. He accordingly commanded his servants, the phy- 
sici ins, to embalm the body of Jacob ; and after a general 
mourning for the patriarch seventy da\s, Joseph solicited 
the king's permission to go with the remains of his father in- 
to Ganaan, to which Pharaoh readily consented ; and with 
Joseph went up all the state officers and principal nobility of 
Egypt, so that when they came to the place ot interment the 

* Johnxviii, 31. f Lukeii. 29, 30. 



its! SCRIPTURE BIOGRAPHY. 

Canaanites were astonished, and said, " This is a grievous 
mourning to the Eg ;nian-.."* 

Thus aave we brotighVpio us Jacob ct tinto the house ap* 
pointed for ail living," after a chequered life of one hun- 
dred and forty-seven years, the greatest number of which 
were spent in anxiety and trouble, but confidence in God 
was his firm support, and by a ; obedience to the divine com- 
mands he was c arri d through ail his trials, and brought, at 
last, to enjoy abundant peace and co iiforc. His remains 
were preserved by the art of the embalmers, but the Holy 
Spiri' has embalmed his memory in the records of truth, so 
that his lite stands as an instructive lesson to all generations, 

* Gen. 1. 11. 



( 113 } 
JOSEPH. 2/^^^^r- 

Born anno mundi 2260, died 2369* 

DIVINE Providence often acts in a manner unaccount- 
able to human wisdom. The most unlikely and un- 
promising circumstances are adopted to effect the greatest 
and th^ best of purposes. - Weak instruments are chosen to 
bring about vast designs ; a d troubles, misfortunes, per- 
secutions, and even crimes are all made subservient to the 
mighty purposes of God. He " takes his way in the sea, 
and his path in the great waters," to accomplish his designs, 
for this very reason, that man may not know them till they 
are fulfilled ; and that when he sees how they have been 
brought about, " he may adore him who is excellent ia 
counsel, doing wonders." 

History shews us innumerable instances of this great 
truth ; but in the sacred records we have it more strikingly" 
elucidated, because the impression of a divine agency is 
marked upon every narrative. In the life of Joseph we are 
presented with such a complex series of straiige events, all 
necessarily connected, and yet each so perplexing, that the 
mind cannot resist the conviction, that the whole was the re- 
sult of divine direction. 

We have already taken a cursory glance of this wonder- 
ful youth in the life of his father. To the fond partiality of 
Jacob may be attributed the baneful envy of his other 
sons, and the subsequent distresses of Joseph. It was na- 
tural for him to love the amiable son of Rachel ; and more 
so, as his manners and disposition were diametrically oppo- 
site to those of his other sons. Jacob, however, is said to 
have loved Joseph because he was the " son of his old age f* 
a reason weak and frivolous, but natural in persons advanc- 
ed in life. The same weakness prompted Jacob to distin- 
guish his favourite above the rest of his children, by dressing 
him in a splendid vesture, a garment of divers colours. — 
This badge of parental partiality heightened the malice of Jo- 
seph's brethren, so that they could not " speak peaceably 
unto him." 

Gaudy dress is one of those things which fond parents are 
too apt to indulge, especially when their darling children are 
somewhat handsomer than ordinary. This was the case 
here, Joseph was beautiful in his person, arjd therefore his 



114 SCRIPTURE BIOGRAPHY. 

doating father dressed him in shewy attire, to sc thim off to 
the best advantage. Ridiculous and dangerous distinc- 
tion ! Ridiculous, because nature requires no ornaments, 
and virtue is not advanced by the trappings of fashion. — * 
Dangerous, because it tended to excite envy and hatred in 
the breasts of Joseph's brethren, and in his own mind vani- 
ty and conceit To be unmoved by this mark of his fa- 
ther's affection, would have argued more philosophy than 
could be expected in a vouth of seventeen. We cannot 
blame Joseph for being a little elated by this distinction $ 
but nis father and his brethren were reprehensible, the one 
for want of prudence, and the others fcr making so trif- 
ling a cause the occasion of a most unnatural hatreJ. 

The elder sons of Jacob were, as we have already seen, very 
vicious and unprincipled men, especially those which he had 
b\ Bilhah and Zilpah. With these Joseph was associated ia 
the pastoral employment:, a circumstance that throws consi- 
derable blame upon Jacob, if he really knew the characters 
of those children. But we are charitably to hope that he 
did not, for we are told that their conversation and behavi- 
our were so bad, that Joseph, your.g as he was, could not en- 
dure their society, and returned to his father, to whom he re- 
lated their proceedings. On the mere face of the narra- 
tive we might be apt to fancy that Joseph was a tale-bearer ; 
but the fact was, thktibeing vexed with the unrighteous con- 
versation of his brethren, he forsook them, and of course 
his father would naturally enquire the reason. Truth is not 
to be concealed because the vices of a brother will be ex- 
posed thereby. It was not right to keep Jacob in ignorance 
of his children's evil conduct, for by so doing the proper ex- 
ercise of his patriarchal authority and parental admonitions 
would be omitted, and their reformation prevented, in this 
conduct of Joseph there is much to admire. The vicious 
examples of elder brethren have generally too powerful an 
influence upon the younger, if they live together ; and the 
inexperience of youth can hardly resist the force of such 
patterns and such precepts as these. Joseph, at that early 
age, resists the immoral courses of his brothers, is deaf to 
their persuasions, unmindful of their ridicule, and deter- 
mined to be virtuous. With great prudence he, therefore, 
quits their company, returns to his father, and u brings unto 
him their evil report.'' 

The pious Jacob could not be unmoved at this heroic in* 



JOSEPH. US 

stance of virtue in his beloved child, and the increase of his 
partiality to him was natural and just. 

But if this evidence of their father's preference of Joseph 
was hateful to the other sons, a circumstance soon after oc- 
curred which tended tu inflame their malice into revenge. 

Joseph was favoured with two very remarkable dreams, 
both alike in points of representation, and the one strongly 
confirming the other. 

Dreams in general are chimerical delusions, the scattered 
images or sensible things Do ting on the mind, and forming 
incongruous but sometimes very singular associations in. 
sleep. But that this method of communication has been 
adopted by Providence to inform men of future events, to 
warn them of danger, to give them directions in cases of im- 
portance, and to bring them to repentance and religion, 
there can be no doubt, if the testimony of some of the best 
of men is to be credited, and the bible is to be literally be* r 
lieved. 

The dreams of Joseph were hieroglyphic prognostics of 
his future eminence ; and were so very striking, that we 
cannot be surprized at their producing r. strong impression 
Upon his mind. But he was wanting in a prudent regard for 
his own happiness, and in a respect lor his father and breth- 
ren, in relating to them these wonderful manifestations. 

" And he said unto them, Hear, I pray you, this dream 
which I have dreamed. For behold wc were binding sheaves- 
in the field, and lo, my sheaf arose, and also stood upright ; 
and behold your sheaves stood round about, and made obeis- 
ance to my shf af. And his brethren said to him, Shalt 
thou indeed reign over us ? Or shalt thou indeed have do- 
minion over us ? And they hated him yet more for his 
dreams, and tor his words."* 

The brethren of Joseph could not well avoid this applica- 
tion of the dream ; and from their pointed reproach it is evi- 
dent that he himself expressed a confidence that the vision 
had his exaltation for its object. 

His next dream was similar, but attended with more 
striking and august particulars. " And he dreamed yet an- 
other dream, and told it to his brethren, and said, behold I 
have dreamed a dream more ; and behold the sun, and the 
moon, and the eleven stars, made obeisar.ee to me." 

Joseph had found that the relation of his former dream 
highly displeased his brethren, and provoked their displea- 

* Gen. xxxvii. 5, &c. 



116 SCRIPTURE BIOGRAPHY. 

sure. Now this was calculated to heighten their animosity 
against him, for it was a full confirmation of the first, with 
the addition of aggravating circumstances. He ought not, 
therefore, to have communicated it to them ; but there was 
something in it so flattering to human vanity, so pleasing to 
ambition, that Joseph could not help teazing and mortifying 
his brethren, by tefling them this dream also. Their envy 
was increased ; and even Jacob could not but chide Joseph 
for his forwardness, saying, u What is this dream that thou 
hast dreamed ? Shall I, and thy mother, and thy brethren 
indeed come to bow down ourselves to thee to the earth ?" 

But though Jacob was vexed at the idea of being made 
subject, with all his family, unto his younger soh, for so the 
dream seemed to imply, yet the singular connexion of these 
dreams, and the clearness of them, had an effect upon his 
mind, and he observed them, or treasured them up in his 
memory, conceiving that they had a divine origin, and were 
the representations of some great event that should happen 
in his family. lie could not but perceive that there was 
something supernatural in these visitations, and therefore he 
"watched the issue with serious attention. The elder sons of 
Jacob were inflamed the more against Joseph for uttering 
such remarkable and striking prognostics, which indicated 
his gaining a pre-eminence over them. They already had a 
rooted enmity against him, on account of that preference 
which their father evinced for him ; and that enmity is now 
heightened into the most rancorous malice. His dreams 
made a deep impression on their minds and they were resol- 
ved to counteract the prediction, by making away with the 
dreamer. But vain are the attempts of mortals to cross the 
designs of Providenee. What God hath purposed and fore- 
told shall assuredly come to pass, even by the very instru- 
ments employed by his enemies to prevent it. 

An occasion soon occurred when the envious brethren of 
Joseph thought themselves secure inputting an end to his 
elevated expectations. They were feeding their flocks in 
Shechem, which was at a considerable distance, from Beer- 
sheba, where Jacob dwelt, and the patriarch, from a tender 
solicitude for their welfare, sent thither his darling son to see 
how they fared. The manner in which he addressed Joseph 
was sweetly expressive of his affection for his children, who 
badly requitted such love and concern : " Go, I pray thee, 
see whether it be well with thy brethren, and well with the 



JOSEPH. 117 

flocks ; and bring me word again."* Poor Jacob ! little did 
he think, when he sent his Joseph on this benevolent errand, 
that he should see him no more for many years ; that for 
that period he would to him be dead, and that the very sons, 
whose welfare he was so anxious to know, were plotting the 
death of their innocent brother. Joseph, with cheerful 
willingness, obeys his father's commands, and sets out for 
Shechem ; but not finding them there, he goes farther, even 
to Dothan, where he is informed by a stranger, that they had 
removed with their flocks. 

The shepherds, as soon as they saw Joseph " afar off," 
immediately conspired against him to slay him. Their first 
thought was murder, which sufficiently proves that the idea was 
not novel, but that his destruction had often been a matter 
of consultation among them. " And they said one to another, 
Behold this dreamer cometh. Come now, therefore, and let 
us slay him, and cast him into some pit, and we will say 
some evil beast hath devoured him ; and we shall see what 
will become of his dreams." 

Here we see the source of their sanguinary purposes.-— 
The dreams of Joseph rankle in their gloomy minds ; and 
rather than such humiliation should ever befal them, 
they are determined to crush the embryo sovereign in 
the bud. 

They have no solicitous desires to know how it fares with 
their families at home ; to learn whether good or evil tidings 
have brought Joseph thus far to see them. Envy, malice, and 
revenge take possession of their souls, and obliterate at once 
every humane sentiment. 

But how powerful is the divine influence in its secret 
workings upon the human heart ! Reuben, the elder son of 
Jacob, and one in whose conduct shews, in other respects, 
the most depraved mind, felt an impulse motion to save the 
life of his brother. He artfully persuades the rest not to 
imbrue their hands in the blood of so near a relation, and re- 
presents to them that their purpose might be answered 
equally as well by casting him into a pit, and leaving him 
there to perish. The proposal of Reuben was the result of 
a good-natured design to deliver Joseph from the malice of 
his brothers ; but their consent to it only shews a more sa- 
vage spirit of cruelty, for a death of this kind was worse 
than immediate slaughter. 

* Gen. xxxvii. 14. 



118 SCRIPTURE BIOGRAPHY. 

Joseph, on deserving the tents of his brethren, felt a 
hveiv j oy and satisfaction Doubtless he v;as much fatigued 
bv a long journey, and by the disappointment of not find- 
ing them in Shcchem ; but now he feels delight at meeting 
with the objects of his search, and hastens forwards with 
*f eager alacrity. How different were his sensations and theirs ! 
He is ready to salute and embrace his brethren, they to seize 
upon him as their prey. Instead of meeting with friends, 
he is fallen -amongst the worst of enemies His mission is 
not heard^ his tale is stopped, his coat, that envied badge 
of a father's fondness, is stripped off ; in vain he lifts his 
streaming eves to heaven, in vain his uplifted hands sup- 
plicate rriercv, in vain he calls upon each of his brothers 
by name, in vain he tries to touch their obdurate hearts, 
by urging the name of their venerable father — deaf to 
all entreaties, and insensiule to every feeling of humanity, 
they * stripped Joseph out of his coat, his coat of many 
colours, that was on him ; and they took him and cast 
him into a pit ; and the pit was empty, there was no water 
In it." 

When these unnatural beings had thus consigned Joseph 
to a death the most dreadful of all others, that of perishing 
for want, they contentedly sat themselves down to eat bread. 
Unmindful of the wretched condition of their fatigued and 
Hungry brother, these wretches calmly indulge in a repast, 
stnCi exult in the midst of it at the cowardly revenge they 
have taken of a hapless youth, whose only fault is the en- 
joying a father's fondness, and the manifest favour of Pro- 
vidence. That divine Being who marked every circum- 
stance of this nefarious transaction, caused a travelling com- 
pany of ishmaelites to pass near the spot where these bro- 
thers were feasting. It instantly occurred to Judah that a 
fair opportunity was presented to get effectually rid of 
Joseph, without having his murder to answer for, by selling 
him as a slave to these merchants. The proposition was 
readily acceded to, for hereby they had not only the pleasure 
of removing him out of the way, but of doing it upon 
terms of advantage to themselves, A sordid love of gain 
mixed itself with their other bad qualities, and the merce- 
nary wretches sold a branch uf their own family to stran- 
gers, with as little compuncti m as if he had been a Iamb or 
a young bullock. Inhuman traffic ! how soon did it get 
into use among men, and even in ages of simplicity, wherein 




JOSEPH. 119 

we -see so many beautiful touches of genuine affection and 
sensibility ! 

Bat Joseph is in better hands, though among those who 
" traded in the persons of men," than amor.g unfeeling, 
envious, and vengeful brethren. Mysterious Pro\ idence ! 
How should we admire the wisdom of thy ways, and, from 
this instanc :. to learn submission to all the dark and per- 
plexing events of human life ! 

If Joseph had not missed his brethren in Shechem, or had 
arrived sooner or later at Dothan, these merchants would 
have passed by without effecting his deliverance ; but every 
circumstance has its necessary connexion with the chain of 
events, and th.- slightest incidents are of moment in the ge- 
neral plan. The avarice of Joseph's hrethren shall be pre- 
sented with an opportunity of gratification, that their pri- 
soner mav, through slavery and banishment, attain to glory 
and honour. 

Reuben was not present while this bargain was transact- 
ing, and it is not improbable but that he had taken a circuit- 
ous course, for the purpose of rescuing Joseph from his con- 
finement, and assisting him. in escaping home to his father. 
On coming to the pit, and not finding Joseph there, he was 
seized with agony, and rent his clothes, the usual manner 
of expressing uncommon concern and grief in those days. 
He hastened to his brethren, and his language to them shews 
that he had formed the resolution of saving his brother's life, 
and that he felt the keenest angush at being disappointed of 
his benevolent purpose. u The child is not, " says he, " and 
I, whither shall I go."^ His brethren soon pacified Reu- 
ben, and if anv blame attaches to him in this affair, it is for 
keeping a cruel silence towards his father, and for tamely 
acquiescing with the others in imposing an artful tale upon 
Jacob, that they had found Joseph's coat covered with blood. 

But here we must leave the patriarch and his vicious sons 
to follow Joseph down into Egypt. Here he is soon trans- 
ferred, like a bundle of merchandise, from the hands of the 
traders to Potiphar an officer of rank, and captain of the 
guard to Pharaoh. 

In this new situation, so different from that to which he 
had been accustomed, who does not tremble for the morals 
no les6 than for the safety of Joseph? But when the heart is 
established in grace, there is ground to hope that even in 

* Gen, xxxvii. 29, 30, 



12* SCRIPTURE BIOGRAPHY. 

seasons of the greatest difficulty, and under the most dan- 
gerous temptations, the posessor of it will be enabled to pre- 
serve his integrity and his innocence. The principles of pure 
religion had been sown early in the mind of Joseph by his 
pious father ; and they had happily taken deep root long 
before tnis misfortune befel him. Hereby he experienced 
consolation in this state of exile and slavery, and found that 
though he was far removed from the habitation of his fond 
parent, he was not removed from the presence and favour 
of his father's God. Joseph yielded to his lot with a good 
grace, and accommodated his mind to his circumstances 
with cheerfulness. He performed the part of a dutiful ser- 
vant without murmuring, and, though brought up to dif- 
ferent prospects, was not sullen or dissatisfied in this menial 
situation. 

Potiphar appears to have been a man of discernment and 
consideration. He saw the good qualities of his servant, he 
admired the readiness with which he attended to his duties, 
and he found that his property was safe under his mannage- 
rnent. With much prudence, therefore, he made Joseph 
his steward, and committed unto him the entire direction of 
his household affairs. 

Placed in this more elevated station Joseph attracted the 
notice of his mistress, Potiphar's wife. He was in the prime 
cf his days, and elegant in his person. The amorous Egyp- 
tian could not behold the accomplished Hebrew without 
admiration, and that at length produced a most violent affec- 
tion. On what a tottering basis is Joseph now placed, and, 
when all circumstances are taken into account, how little 
likelihood is there of his escaping this bewitching tempta- 
tion ! 

The wife of Potiphar, giving way to her criminal pas- 
sion," solicited a return of it from Joseph with importunity ; 
but the virtuous youth replied in these expressions : " Be- 
hold, my master wotteth not what is with me in the house, 
and he hath committed all that he hath to my hand. There 
is none greater in -this house that I ; neither hath he kept 
back any thing from me, but thee, because thou art his 
wife ; how then can I do this great wickedness and sin 
against God ?"* 

Joseph had a sacred regard for the honour of his master, 
and a grateful sense of the duty which he owed to him ; 

* Gen. xxxix. 8, 9. 



JOSEPH. 121 

but the principle which supported him in this trial was a 
holy fear of that Being whose eye pervades every recess. It 
would be well for u;>, if, when upon the threshold ol any 
improper act, we were to put Joseph's question to ourselves, 
44 How can I do this great wickedness and sin against 
God :" 

Joseph's mistress reiterated her attempts upon his virtue ; 
she urged many fond solicitations, and exercised all the at- 
tracting allurements she could devise to win his aflections. 
This she did ki day by day," till at length she threw aside 
all decorum, and Joseph was obliged to fly for his virtue, as 
a man would for his life. There are some temptations 
which, to be avoided, must be fled from, while others must 
be braved out by a manly resistance. The soft and bewitching 
allurements of vice are dangerous, and are surely destructive 
if parlied with. They must be shunned with horror lest de- 
sire should arise in the soul. The u lips of the harlot drop 
as the honeycomb, and her mouth is smoother than oil ; but 
her end is bitter as wormwood, sharp as a two-edged sword. 
Her feet go down to death, her *teps take hold on hell.'* 
Excellent then is the advice of wisdom unto youth in this 
case : " Remove thy way far from her, and come not nigh 
the door of her house. For the ways of man are before the 
eyes of the Lord, and he pondereth all his going!*."* 

Disappointment and mortification changed love into ha- 
tred, and the whole soul of this abandoned woman became 
a prey to the most violent passions. As she could not corrupt 
Joseph she was determined to ruin him, and therefore accus- 
ed him of having attempted violence upon her person. The 
tale was artfully told, his garment, which she had seized in 
enticing him, remained in her room, and circumstantial evi- 
dence corroborated the charge, for he had fled. Potiphar 
sent his virtuous servant to prison, and it does not appear 
that Joseph endeavoured to save himself from punishment, 
by accusing his mistress. Perhaps he had more regard for 
his master's honour than to expose her infidelity, or he 
might think that his story, instead of meeting with credit, 
would only excite Potiphar's rage to inflict a more dreadful 
punishment upon him. 

Joseph left the vindication of his character to God, and 
possessing inward peace and satisfaction, the dungeon is to 
him a palace. When the mind is calm and assured of the 

* Prov. v. 3, 4, 5. 3. 21. 



122 SCRIPTURE BIOGRAPHY 

divine favour, the most wretched condition is endured wita 
cheerfulness, and gloony cells are enlivened with celestial 
rays ; but where tnere is conciousness of guilt, palaces are 
dungeons, robes of state are letters, and beds of down are 
thorns and briars. 

That gracious Being who had led Joseph from his father'* 
tent for a great and mighty purpose, accompanied him in 
prison, and turned the heart of the goaler in his faveur* 
The temper and manners of the Hebrew were so engaging, 
that the keeper, though of an occupation which naturally 
tends to blunt the feelings of human kindness, could not but 
admire him ; and, at length, he placed such confidence in 
his integrity, as to commit the entire care of the prison into 
his hand. 

Two of Pharaoh's head servants having incurred his dis- 
pleasure were sent to thjs prison while Joseph was the under 
goaler, and thus the Providence of God orders remote and 
strange circumstances to unite for the advancement of his 
purposes. The anger of the king, and the lust of Potiphar's 
wife, bring, bv a necessary connexion, Joseph and these ser- 
vants together in the same prison* and thereby his deliver- 
ance and elevation are effc cted. Still supernatural means are 
made use of even here. Joseph's dreams excited the envy 
of his brethren, and the dreams of these state prisoners prove 
the means of his enlargement. The chief baker and chief 
butler related the visions of the night to the under-keeper ? 
whose interpretation of each was exactly fulfilled, in the 
execution of the former, and in the restoration of the latter 
to the royal favour 

Joseph took this opportunity of interesting the chief butler 
in his behalf, and, aiter he had explained to him his dream ? 
•which promised him good, he said, u Think on me when 
it shall be well with rhee, and shew kindness unto me ; and 
make mention of me unto Pharaoh, and bring me out of 
this house ; for indeed I was stolen away out of the land of 
the Hebrews, and here also I have done nothing that they 
should put me into the dungeon."'* 

It was natural for Joseph to embrace so fair an occasion to 
obtain his liberty, and surelv he had a strong claim upon the 
gratitude of the man ; but though the event corresponded 
with the prediction, the chief butler, when he regained his 
|grmer station, " remembered not Joseph, but forgat runv* 

* Gen. xl. 14, 15, 



JOSEPH. m 

I wo vears pass away, and the ungrateful courtier never 
»©nce thinks of the young Hebrew, who so pathetically re- 
commended himself to his protection. But Joseph is not to 
owe any part of his greatness to human kindness or to 
worldly policy. The whole plan is of divine origin, and all 
the steps are consequently under infallible direction. Had 
the chief butler interfered in his behalf, Potiphar might 
have prejudiced the mind of Pharaoh against him ; and if 
not, yet the butler himself would have assumed some credit 
for his part in the advancement of Joseph. 

Heaven accomplishes the matter in a way which is to 
bring more honour upon Joseph, by shewig that a divine 
spirit rests upon him, and that he is the favourite of Gob. 

Pharaoh, king ot Egypt, is visited by two remarkable 
dreams which greatly perplex his mind, and harrass him 
with the gloomy fears of superstition. He sends for his 
magicians and soothsayers, who, in that country, were a 
numerous and highly venerated body of men ; but they ex- 
ert all their skill in vain to give satisfaction to the king. 
In ordinary cases their plausible tales might pass : but 
this was of a supernatural kind, and the same power which 
communicated these representations to Pharaoh in his 
sleep, deprived the soothsayers of the faculty of invention, 
and impelled them to confess their inability to interpret 
the dreams. This disappointment only served to aggravate 
the desire of the king, and to inflame his curiosity to the 
highest pitch. 

The occasion of the king's disquietude excited general 
conversation and enquiry ; and the chief butler instantly re- 
collected the singular dream which he had experienced in 
the prison, and the exact interpretation which had been giv- 
en of it by Joseph. It was a fit opportunity now to atone 
for the neglect of his promise, and, at the same time, to 
ingratiate himself still more in the favour of his master* 
Accordingly he informed the king of the singular talents of 
the young man with whom he had been a fello w- prisoner ; 
in consequence of which Joseph was sent for in all haste, and 
brought into the royal presence. 

If we have had reason to admire Joseph hitherto as a son, 
as a servant, and as a faithful and compassionate under- 
keeper in a prison, we need not be ashamed of him now he 
stands before Pharaoh. 

The shepherd youth speaks with modest diffidence, yet in 



iU SCRIPTURE BIOGRAPHY. 

the most dignified language. When the king tells him that 
he had been informed of his skill in the interpretation of 
dreams, Joseph's answer is, " It is not in me ; God shall 
give Pharaoh an answer of peace.' 1 * 

The pious humility of an aged saint is beautiful, but the 
humble and devout declaration of Joseph is still more strik- 
ing and beautiful, because he stood at that moment in a 
circle of the most elevated characters, all fixed in attention 
upon him, and it was made to a mighty monarch, who ac- 
knowleged not the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. 

When the king had related his dreams, which were one in 
effect, Joseph, in explicit terms, interpreted them, adding, 
at the same time, that as they predicted seven years of plenty 
and seven years of famine, necessary steps should be taken to 
preserve the empire from the dire effects of scarcity. 

The explanation was so natural and appropriate, as to 
impress the minds of all who heard it with conviction. 
Pharaoh, struck with admiration of the modesty and wis- 
dom of this wonderful young man, immediately forms the 
resolution of being guided by his counsels, and Joseph, 
who, a few hours ago, was a prisoner, is now prime minister 
of Egypt. 

Thus have we attended the Hebrew youth from his fa- 
ther's abode in Hebron, to the shepherds tents in Dothan ; 
have seen him cast into a dismal pit by his perfidious bre- 
thren, yet saved through the avarice of Judah, and sold into 
the hands of Ishmaelitish traders, bought as a slave by Poti- 
phar, raised to the office of a steward in his household, but 
precipitated fro m that station into a dungeon by the malice 
of a wicked woman, left there for some years in obscurity, 
and all at once brought forth and placed on the right hand 
of a throne. How mysterious are the ways of divine Wis- 
dom, and how admirable is the whole series when viewed 
in connexion, and yet how distressing and intricate appears 
each distinct part ! 

Take a link from the providential chain, and the whole 
will be in confusion. A great portion of it is suffering ; but 
was this not necessary to prepare Joseph for that elevation 
to which he is now arrived I The school of adversity is the 
best to fit the mind for prosperity. It is well calculated to 
render a man humble, cautious, discreet, charitable, dutiful, 
and religious. Joseph has experienced the treachery of breth* 

* Gen. xli. 16. 



JOSEPH. l«s 

> en, tiic violence of female licentiousness, the ingratitude of 
courtiers ; he has been a shepherd, a slave, an upper ser- 
vant, and a prisoner ; he is, therefore, well acquainted with 
human nature, and knowing the instability of all earthly- 
good, he is prepared to fill this elevated station with humi- 
lity and propriety. 

Excellent is the remark of an apocryphal writer upon this 
history, and worthy of quotation : " The divine Wisdom," 
says he, u when the righteous was sold, forsook him not, but 
delivered him from sin : she went down with him into the 
pit, and left him not in bonds till she brought him the sceptre 
of the kingdom, and power against those that oppressed 
him : as for them that accused him, he shewed them to be 
liars, and gave him perpetual glory."* 

By the wonder-working hand of God, we behold Jose " 
exalted to the right hand of a mighty sovereign, and posses- 
sing power over all Egypt. He is married to a princess, ra- 
rayed in robes of state, with a chain of gold about his neck ; 
and, as he rides in the second chariot, the people shout be- 
fore him, u Bow the knee," or see the father of the king. — 
Pharaoh gave Joseph the name of Zaphnath-Paaneah, which, 
according to some, signifies saviour of the world, but 
others, with more reason, interpret it the " revealer of secrets." 

Joseph's wife was daughter of Potipherah, priest of On, 
which has led some injudicious critics to condemn his con- 
duct in forming such an idolatrous alliance ; but as scripture 
throws no blame upon him, and as the children which he 
had by this union were peculiarly blessed by Providence, 
there is every reason to believe that, so far from Joseph 
having acted wrong, he did what was right, and brought his 
wife at least, if not her whole family, over to the truth. 

Though Joseph is thus advanced to wealth and honour, he 
does not indulge himself in luxurious ease. He is the same 
faithful, diligent servant as ever. He goes through all the 
land of Egypt during the seven years of plenty, and esta- 
blishes granaries, in which he lays up stores of corn against 
the approaching time of scarcity. That season comes, agree- 
able to his prediction ; and now Egypt sees, indeed, that 
the blessing of the Lord is with Joseph, for she not only 
can supply her own people but those of the neighbouring 
countries in this time of grievous famine. 

And now, after the long period of thirteen years, we are 

• Wiscl. x. 13, 14. 



426 SCRIPTURE BIOGRAPHY. 

brought once more to Jacob's melancholy abode in Hebron. 
The pious patriarch has endured much anguish during this 
painful interval, occasioned by the loss of his beloved child. 
Tne blood-stained garment of Joseph has, doubtless, been 
often contemplated with heart-rending sighs, and floods of 
tears. But novv even this sorrow gi\ es way to another visi- 
tation, wnich h is a Tendency to overwhelm all other distres- 
ses, the lyant of bread. Jacob has wealth in abundance, but 
that will not procure the necessaries of life in this dreadful 
scarcity. He hears that there is corn in Egypt, and com- 
mands his sons to take with them money, and go thither to 
buy food. They accordinglv take this journey, and, on their 
arrival in Egypt, find that all applications for the purchase of 
corn are to be made to the governor, before whom they ap- 
pear, iW and bow themselves >vith their faces to the earth."* 
Thus the dream which thev had ridiculed so much, and en- 
deavoured to frustrate, is accomplished. The change oc- 
casioned bv the lapse of years, dress, and situation, prevent 
them from knowing Joseph, but he immediately recognizes 
them, and forms a resolution of conducting himself strange- 
ly towards them. 

With much sternness in his manner, and harshness of ex- 
pression, he interrogates his brethren upon their country, 
and their intentions in visiting Egypt. Their answer is to 
buy food, but Joseph persists in charging them with bad de- 
signs, and with being spies. He also causes them to be con- 
fined three days, and when they are brought again before 
him, he treats them in the same rough manner, insomuch 
that their consciences cannot but accuse them of their guilty 
conduct towards their brother. They reckon this as a judg- 
ment upon them for their unnatural behaviour, and vent up- 
on one another keen reproaches for their barbarity to Jo- 
sq>h. " , We are verily guilty," say they, " concerning our 
brother, in that we saw the anguish of his soul when he be- 
sought us, and we would not hear : therefore is this distress 
come upon us. And Reuben answered them, saying, Spake 
not I unto \ou, saving, do not sin against the child, and ye 
would not hear? therefore behold also his blood is requited." 
Conscience though she may be stifled for a long time, will 
have a hearing at last ; and if, in the hurry of business or 
pleasure in health and hi prosperit3 r , the sinner can contrive 
&>escape from her remonstrances, yet when seclusion, adver- 

* Gen. xlii. 6. 



JOSEPH. 127 

sitv, sickrie§s\or sore affliction overtakes him, he will expe- 
rience all her vengeance. 

Joseph's brethren little thought that the rigid governor. 
was acquainted with their language, for he spake unto ihem 
by an interpreter, and the) were therefore the more tree in 
their mutual accusations. It was gratifying to his benevo- 
lent heart to perceive that the) were not dead to feeling, and 
that they had now a genuine sorrow ioi the injury the\ had 
been guilty of towards him. He was melted at. the scene, 
and turned aside from them and wept. The tears of 
Joseph were the pure drops of affection and brotherh kind- 
ness, in which no small portion of joy was mingled at find- 
ing that his brethren w ere alive to repentance. 

On regaining his composure he takes up the conversation 
with them again upon their real intentions in coming into 
Egypt, and, to prove their sincerity, proceeds to bind Sime- 
on, and commits him to prison, as a hostage for their return 
with benjamin. 

They were then sent away with a supply of corn for their 
families, and every man's money was secretlv put into his 
sack's mouth by Joseph's orders. This circumstance, how- 
ever, they did not discover till they were got far on their 
journey, and, when the discovery was made, fear, confusion, 
and astonishment seized upon their minds. Here also their 
consciences began to operate upon them, and that which had 
really a favourable appearance was interpreted into a judg- 
ment. 

After some time the brethren of Joseph return with heavy 
hearts into Egypt, bringing their \ounger brother with 
them. On their arrival Jos. ph caused them to be taken to 
his own house, and when the public duty of his station was 
ended, he hastened home, and enquired tenderly alter his 
father, doubtless with an anxious heart to know that he was 
in health. " And he said is your father well, the old man 
of whom ye spake, is he yet alive ? And they answered, 
Thy servant, our father, is in good health, he is yet alive : 
and they buwed down their heads and made obeisance."* 
Again was the premonition of heaven accomplished, so vain 
and impious is it to attempt the frustration of the divine coun- 
sel*. With eager eye he looked round the circle for his 
own mother's son., whom he had left quite a child in Canaan, 
and, when he saw him, the tide of fraternal affection rush? 

• Geo. sJHi, 27, 28, 



128 scripture biography; 

ed strongly upon his heart, and he said, " Is this your young- 
er brother of whom ye spake unto me ? And he said, God 
be gracious unto thee, my son." But his feelings begin to 
be too much agitated, and it is not yet time to make the im- 
portant discovery which he has meditated, Joseph, therefore, 
withdraws into a private apartment, that he may give vent 
to his sensibility. What delightful tears were those of this 
generous man in that moment of retirement! His father 
alive and in health, his beloved brother Benjamin under his 
roof, the others brought to a sense of shame for their evil 
conduct, and he has it in his power to save his family alive 
in this time of dearth, to support, and to forgive ! 

A splendid entertainment being set out the Hebrews are 
placed at a table by themselves, while Joseph sits alone, and 
the Egyptians are seated at another, because their religious 
scruples prevent them from eating with the people of other 
countries. Here the brethren of Joseph are presented with 
another subject of conjecture and surprize ; for, by his di- 
rections, they are all seated in the order of their birth ; and 
the mess sent to Benjamin from the governor's table, is five 
times larger than that of any other. These things must 
have filled their minds with veneration for the wonderful 
man, whose wisdom evidently appeared to be supernatural ; 
for who could have informed him of their particular ages, 
when they were utter strangers in the land ? 

The liberality and pleasantness of the governor at length 
dispelled all their fears, and they drank and were merry. 

In the morning the sons of Jacob w T ere sent away with 
their asses laden with corn, and eager, no doubt, to see then- 
father, that they might restore unto him Simeon and Benja- 
min. Bat they had scarcely turned their backs on the city 
when they were overtaken by Joseph's steward, who charg- 
ed them with theft, in taking with them his master's cup.— 
Conscious of their innocence, the men readily submitted to 
a search, first, declaring, that if the cup should be found in 
the possession of either, of them the guilty person should die, 
and that the rest would readily become slaves. Ten sacks 
were examined, and no cup was found, to the great joy of 
them ail ; but how soon was joy converted into horror, 
when, on opening that of Benjamin, the fatal object appear- 
ed ! In great haste, and overwhelmed with grief, the sons 
of Jacob returned to the house of Joseph, where they fell 
to the ground before hira without speaking a word, for it 



JOSEPH. 129 

was needless to deny what could not be disproved. The 
governor, who, at their last interview, was all pleasantry 
and affability, is now again the stern and rigid judge. At 
this interesting crisis J udah, who had made himself responsible 
unto his father for the return of Benjamin, arises, and with 
all the energy of pure eloquence, addresses a speech to Jo- 
seph, which is unparalelled in history. He does not at- 
tempt to palliate the crime, or to resist the force of evidence, 
which appears against his brother, but he touches the feel- 
ings of the judge, and tells a simplr tale of woe with genuine 
pathos ; he speaks to the heart of his noble auditor, because 
he feels in his own the whole of what he says. 

" Then Judah came near unto him, and said, Oh, my 
lord, let thy servant, l pray thee, speak a word in my lord's 
ears, and let not thine anger burn against thy servant : for 
thou art even as Pharaoh. My lord asked his servants, say- 
ing, have ye a father or a brother ? And we said unto my 
lord, we have a father, an old man, and a child of his old 
age, a little one : and his brother is dead, and he alone is 
left of his mother, and his father loveth him. And thou 
saidst unto thy servants, bring him down unto me, that £ 
may set mine eyes upon him. And we said unto my lord, 
the lad cannot leave his father ; for if he should leave his fa- 
ther, his father would die. And thou saidst unto thy ser- 
vants, except your youngest brother come down with you 
ye' shall see my face no more. And it came to pass when 
we came up unto thy servant, my father, we told him the 
words of my lord. And our father said, go again, and buy 
us a little food. And we said, we cannot go down : if our 
youngest brother be with us then will we go down ; for we 
may not see the man's face, except our youngest brother be 
with us. And thy servant, my father, said unto us, ye know 
that my wife bare me two sons, and the one went out from 
me, and I said, surely he is torn in pieces, and I saw him 
not since. And if ye take this also from me, and mischief 
befal him, ye shall bring down my gray hairs with sorrow 
to the grave. Now, therefore, when I come to thy servant, 
my father, and the lad be not with us ; (seeing that his life is 
bound up in the lad's life) it shall come to pass, when he 
seeth that the lad is not with us, that he will die : and thy 
servant shall bring down the gray hairs of thy servant, our 
father, with sorrow to the grave. For thy servant became 
surety for the lad unto my father, saying, if I bring him not 
unto thee, then I shall bare the blame to my father for ever, 

R 



i&0 SCRIPTURE BIOGRAPHY, 

Now, therefore, 1 pray thee, let ihy servant abide instead -o£" 
the lad, a bondman to my lord ; and let tht lad go up with, 
his brethren. For huvv shall I go up to my father, and the 
lad be not with me . ? Lest peradventure i see the evil that 
shall come on m\ father."* 

The exquisite touches uf nature in this piece, the reluct- 
ance of Jacob to part with his only remaining offspring of 
a beloved * ife, the melancholy remembrance of the fate of 
his brother, and the observation that the good old man's life 
was bound up in the life of Benjamin, beautifully thrown, 
Into a parenthesis, could not but affect a generous heart with 
compassionate sympathy. Nor was the noble offer of Ju- 
dah to remain a bondslave in the room of his brother, a 
circumstance likely to pass without effect upon the mind of 
a liberal man. But the motive of the offer was likely to 
give it a peculiar interest on this occasion, for it was a pious 
concern for the peace and satisfaction of his aged father, 
It was a dread lest by loosing his Benjamin Jacob's heart- 
should break, and his gray hairs be brought with unexam- 
pled sorrow to the grave* 

How various were the feelings of the different persons 
present while judah thus earnestly appealed to the compas- 
sion of the governor ! How anxiously do the other sons of 
Jacob watch the countenance of the Judge, to see what 
effects their brother's eloquence are likely to produce in his 
mind, and how do they endeavour to read their acquittal 
or their condemnation in the eyes of Joseph. He, indeed,, 
can scarcely refrain from breaking in upon the narrative 
which interests him so much; the artificial mound of au- 
sterity gives way ; it cannot resist the rushing torrent of af- 
fection. The mighty sreret must come forth j he is satis- 
iied that his brothers are not destitute of filial and fraternal 
affection. All the feelings of a son and of a brother are in 
agitation ; his whole soul expands itself towards them ; and 
lie eagerly commands the attendants to withdraw, that there 
may be no intruding, curious observers of the approaching 
scene. The Hebrews look upon one another in silent 
amazement, for they see that there is something import- 
ant in the action and in the countenance of the viceroy. The 
Egyptians being withdrawn, he bursts into a flood of tears, 
and savs, " I am Joseph, doth my father yet live ! And 
his brethren could not answer him, for they were troubled 
at his presence." 

£ Gen. xliv, 1% &c? 



JOSEPH. ICfc 

Their silence was natural. Had their conduct to Joseph 
been less cruel than it was. this sudden and strange discovery 
<?f him, as the lord of Egypt, must have struck them with, 
astonishment ; but to be told that this was the very Joseph 
whose death they had plott d, whom they had derided and 
stripped, and sold for a slave, what wonder that, instead of 
joy and gladness, it produced fear and trouble ? 

But the magnanimity of Joseph was equal to his other 
eminent qualiri s. Instead of reproaching them, instead of 
even touching upon their unkindness towards him, he en- 
deavoured to soothe their agonized minds, and to palliate 
their guilt. ki And he said, I am Joseph, your brother, 
whom ye sold into Egypt. No ,v., therefore, be not grieved, 
nor angry with yourselves, that ye sold me hither : ior God 
did send me before you to preserve life. For these two years 
hath the famine been in the land ; and yet there are five 
years, in which there shall neither be earing nor harvest. 
And God sent me before ) ou to preserve you a posterity in 
the earth, and to save your lives by a great deliverance ; so 
now it was not you that sent me hither but God." 

The noble generosity of Joseph in thus casting a mantle 
over the fault of his brethren, and while they were con- 
demning themselves, to offer a plea of excuse for them, can- 
not be too much admired. How seldom is such conduct to 
be seen even amongst those who profess liberality of senti- 
ment, and a regard for the doctrines of the gospel ? How 
apt are we to remember injuries, even of a petty kind j and 
though we may not be disposed to revenge them, yet with 
what readiness do we take care that those who have offended 
us shall know that we bear a sense of it upon our minds ? 

Tne injury Joseph had received was deep and malignant ; 
but when he made a discovery of himself unto them, he was 
resolved to win his brethren's affection towards him by obli- 
terating ail sense of the evil he had experienced. And in 
what a beautiful spirit of piety does he endeavour to claim 
their minds, by shewing them that the whole was of divine 
direction, for the preservation of themselves and their fa- 
milies ? Their malice and envy are all overlooked, and the 
hand of God is confessed in the whole of the transaction. 
Excellent man ! How does every new situation exuk him in 
our esteem ! 

Having made this discovery of himself unto them, he fell 
upon ins mother benjamin's neck and wept, and Benjamin 
Wept upon his neck. v - Moreover he kissed all his brethren,, 
ana wept upon them. 1 ' 



IJS SCRIPTURE BIOGRAPHY. 

This inimitable picture is touched with exquisite skill ia 
all its parts ; and here we cannot but feel the tenderest sym- 
pathy with all the actors in this interesting scene. Joseph 
first embraces Benjamin, because he is the son of his mo- 
ther Rachel ; but he does not confine this action of fraternal 
love to him, he embraces all his brethren, and weeps for 
Joy while he salutes the whole circle. When this was over, 
the brethren of Joseph acquired confidence, and they en- 
tered into a free conversation with him, in which the condi- 
tion of their father, and of their families in Canaan, formed 
a principal part. It was the first care of Joseph to provide 
for the welfare of his relations in this time of want, and to 
make them partakers of his prosperity. He therefore charged 
his brethren to hasten homewards, and to bring down as 
soon as possible Jacob, and all that they had left in Canaan. 
<; And ye shall tell my father," says he, w Of all my glory 
in Egypt, and of all that ye have seen." What, was Jo- 
seph elated with his high advancement, was he proud of be- 
ing lord of all Egypt, and vainly desirous that " ail his 
glory" should be represented to his father ? 

No ; it was not ostentation, but dutiful concern and pru- 
dence that made him give this charge to his brethren. Ja- 
cob might be slow to believe the marvellous tidings, and old 
age is reluctant to change its long accustomed situation to 
visit a land of strangers. Jacob had much to fear from the 
Egyptians, who held the Canaanites in abhorrence ; and it 
was, therefore, not likely that he would readily be induced 
to undertake so hazardous and long a journey. Joseph, 
weighing these circumstances, directed his brethren to relate 
all that they had seen in Egypt, and to represent his glory 
to Jacob, that the venerable old man might be assured that 
his son possessed power sufficient to provide for and protect 
his family. 

When Pharaoh was informed that Joseph's brethrtn were 
arrived, the generous monarch commanded him to send 
waggons to bring his father and all his family down to Egypt, 
saying, at the same time, " regard not your stuff, for the 
good of the land is vour's." 

We cannot but admire the gratitude and condescension of 
this amiable king, who was superior to the narrow and su- 
perstitious prejudices of his time, and felt no uneasiness at 
having for a prime minister the son of a shepherd The 
character of the sovereign and his servant tallied well with 
each other ; for if the king was pleased in manifesting his 



JOSEPH. 13* 

regard to Joseph, by talcing care of his family, Joseph was 
also eager to secure the favour of his master on their behalf. 
Some men, when they get up in the world, are apt to for- 
get, or, at least, to shun their indigent relations. The 
haughtv upstart, who, by some dirty means, or by a fortu- 
nate circumstance, gets into authority, and to a rank which 
his humble origin could hardly have augured, will lift his 
head high above his native dunghill, and shrink from the re- 
collection of trie persons whu gave him birth. 

But Joseph was too wise and too good a man to be guilty 
of such a criminal neglect. He was not ashamed to own his 
alliance to shepherds, though he knew that the occupation 
which they followed was held in the greatest contempt among 
the Egyptians. 

Joseph eagerly accepted the kind commission of his so- 
vereign, and sent a considerable train with his brethren, to 
whom he also gave a liberal present ; but still shewing a 
particular regard for Benjamin, by bestowing upon him a 
larger portion of raiment and money than upon any of the 
others. u And to his father he sent ten asses, laden with 
the good things of Egypt, and ten she-asses, laden with 
corn, and bread, and meat, for his father, by the way." 

So provident was Joseph, and attentive to the little conve- 
niencies of his father in this journey. His prudence was 
manifested also in the advice which he gave to his brethren 
when he took his leave of them ; u See that ye fall not out 
by the way."* He was apprehensive that a remembrance of 
their past behaviour might produce mutual accusations and 
reproaches, and he knew that the tempers of some of them 
were very violent, so that a serious misunderstanding might 
be the result. 

Joseph's caution indicates an affectionate concern for the 
peace of his family : and a more important, impressive 
piece of advice could not have been given, it would be well 
if, in the journey of life, mankind would take the same les- 
son as the rule of their conduct, especially in those social 
relations which are essential to human happiness, but which, 
from the want of attending to this rule, are often embittered 
with envy, hatred, and malice. 

When Jacob came to the province of Goshen, the most 
fertile part of Egypt, Joseph hastened thither in his chariot, 
and a most affecting interview took place between the vener- 
able patriarch and his dutiful, his long lost child. The ex- 

* Gen. xlv. 24. 



1U SCRIPTURE BIOGRAPHY. 

sited Hebrew next presented his brethren and his father to 
Pharaoh, and so far from being ashamed of them or their 
employment, he directed them to acknowiege their calling, 
thai they might obtain a free grant of Goshen for their resi- 
dence, in order that they might be separated from the Egyp- 
tians. 

We are now to consider Joseph as a vigilant and provi- 
dent statesman, in a season of peculiar distress and difficul- 
ty. The famine having continued two years, all the private 
stock of the Egyptians was exhausted, and, of course, they 
were compelled to purchase corn from the public granaries, 
which greatly enriched the royal treasury. As long as there 
was money left they bought corn of Joseph with specie, but, 
in the sixth year of the famine, they were obliged to sell 
their cattle, and, in the last year, every thing being gone, 
they were under the necessity of selling themselves and their 
lands. 

Joseph has been unjustly accused of promoting tyrranny 
and slavery by this conduct ; but let us look a little closely 
into the history and the character of these people, before we 
rashly encourage this charge. 

Some bloody rebellions had happened in Egypt before the 
administration of Joseph, and from a regard for his royal 
master, no less than for the people themselves, he takes this 
opportunity of binding them to allegiance. He wisely also 
adopts a method whereby the evil of famine shall be pre- 
vented in future, by taking the lands which were suffered to 
lie fallow, and by compelling the people who held them as 
vassals of the crown to turn the same into tillage. We be- 
feokl here, then, a sagacious and truly benevolent line of con- 
duct, instead of a cruel and unjust one, on the part of Jo- 
seph. By his superior wisdom the seven years of famine 
were provided against ; and by laying the Egyptians under 
the necessity of selling tlliir lands, he obtained that power 
which enabled him to render the country more fruitful than 
It ever had been, or indeed would be, if the inhabitants were 
not in a manner forced to an agricultural life. But Joseph 
made no undue advantage of the people's necessities, for 
though they exchanged all their possessions, and even their 
liberty for corn, he reserved only a fifth part of the land for 
Pharaoh, who was be- fore the owner of a tenth of the whole, 
except the portion which belonged to the priests. 

Again w-e turn to view Joseph in his private character, 
arid still iiud reason to admire him as a dutiful son and a 



JOSEPH. 13$ 

iind and forgiving brother. Seventeen years did he enjoy the 
pleasing and pious conversation ol J tcoO ; and when he 
heard that his father was sick he hastened to visit him, tak- 
ing with him his two sons, Manasst h and Ephraim. 

The dying beds ot the righteous are awfully instructive, 
and are well calculated to make serious impressions on the 
minds of youth. Wisely, therefore, did Joseph bring his 
children, with him, that from the lips ol their yenerab'e an- 
cestor they might learn the true value ot religion. Jacob, 
full of the divine spirit, pronounced a solemn blessing upon, 
Joseph and upon his two sons, adding, however, that the 
younger should have the pre-emintnee over the eider ; and 
though he was dim with age, yet, by a divine instinct, he 
guided his hands in such a manner as to place his right hand 
upon Ephraim's head, and his left upon that of Manasseh. 
Joseph seeing this was vexed, and endeavoured to correct 
what he imagined was a mistake, hut the dving prophet per- 
sisted in the action he was led to adopt. 

After this he said unto Joseph, tw Behold 1 die, but God 
shall be with you, and bring you again unto the land of your 
fathers. Moreover, I have given to thee one portion above 
thy brethren, which 1 took out of the hand of the Amorite 
with my sword and with my bow." 

This, according to the best commentators, expresses that 
portion of land which Jacob bought of Hamor in Shechem, 
and which he afterwards retook from the Amorites, who 
had seized upon it in his absence. 

The last scene of Jacob we have already contemplated \ 
but here we must observe, that though the good man addressed 
all his sons by name in the spirit of prophecy, and delivered 
a striking prediction of the Messiah, as the Shiloh which 
should descend from Judah, yet it was upon Joseph that his 
heart felt the most affection. He dwelt with much de- 
light upon the character and circumstances of his favourite 
son ; and the language in which his blessing is expressed is 
highly metaphorical, elegant, and appropriate. " Joseph is 
a fruitful bough, even a fruitful bough by a well ; whose 
branches run over the wall : the archers have sorely grieved 
him, and shot at him, and hated him ; but his bow abode 
in strength, and the arms of his hands were made strong by 
the hands of the mighty God of Jacob : from thence is the 
shepherd the stone of Israel : even by the God of thy fa- 
ther, who shall help th< e, and by the Almighty, who shall 
Jble-ss thee with blessings of heaven above> blessings of 



136 Scripture biography. 

deep that lieth under, blessings of the breasts and of the 
womb : the blessings of thv father have prevailed above the 
blessings of my progenitors, unto the utmost bound of the 
everlasting hills : they shall be on the head of Joseph, and 
on the crown of the head of him that was separate from his 
brethren."* 

The afflictions and the deliverances of Joseph are beauti- 
fully described under the figure of a hunted hart pursued by 
envy and malice ! And the promise of high favour and ex- 
tensive possessions to his posterity, is expressed in a rich va- 
riety of terms, to give it more weight and dignity. 

• .When the strength of Jacob was exhausted, the lingering 
pulse ceased to beat, and the last breathing sigh departed, 
Joseph's heart was full of grief, 4i he fell upon his face, and 
wept upon him, and kissed him." 

But the sorrow of Joseph, though tender, was not immo- 
derate. He attended to the solemn charge he had received 
from his father, and after the days of embalming were end- 
ed, he s©licited the king's leave of absence, and went up 
with the dear remains to the family sepulchre in Canaan. 

On his return from this pious office he had another occa- 
sion to shew the generous quality of his mind. His breth- 
ren were apprehensive that the death of their common pa- 
rent would bring forth the latent spirit of revenge, and that 
thay should now experience all the vengeance of Joseph for 
their evil treatment of him. Their guilty consciences made 
them afraid, and they judged, as wicked men always do, 
that the mind of Joseph was like their own, prone to " re- 
compense evil for evil." The life of their father was, ac- 
cording to their gloomy judgment, the only security they 
had against the resentment of their brother, but now that 
impediment is removed, they have no doubt but that 
they shall be made to feel that he has neither forgotten nor 
forgiven them. How unjustly did they judge of the heart 
of Joseph ! What a wrong did this guilty suspicion put upon 
that noble-minded man ! With a creeping, mean, and hu- 
miliating petition these men sent a messenger to Joseph, 
supplicating his pardon, in the name of the God of their fa- 
ther. Some men would have been wonderfully gratified by 
this abject submission, but Joseph felt a different sensation ; 
it grieved him to think that his brethren could entertain so 
base an idea of his temper and intentions. Their suppli- 
cating address brought tears into his eyes, and, when they 

* Gen. xlix. 22, 23, 24, 25, 26. 



JOSEPH. 137 

came themselves, and fell on their faces before him, his be- 
haviour to them was noble and conciliatory. " Fear not ; 
for am I in the place of GoD ?" 

Joseph possessed that trust in, and reverence for, the Al- 
mi :htv, as to commit all his concerns into his hands. He 
knew that the retribution of evil belongs to infinite justice, 
and is a power not to be assumed by man. l * Shad i,'* 
says the pious man, w take upon me to avenge the if juries I 
have sustained, when I have experienced so greatly the 
power, protection, and goodness of God :" 

Impressed with this pious sentiment of benevolence he 
endeavours to calm the fears of his brethren, hy making 
them an assurance of their enjoying his full favour and for- 
giveness. Not only so, but he does it in terms calculated to 
heal the festering wounds of a guilt) conscience, by endea- 
vouring to lessen the evil he had sustained, and turning it 
into a signal mark of providential kindness to preserve the in 
and their families. u But as for you ye thought evil against 
me, but God meant it unto good, to bring to pass, as it is 
this day, to save much people alive. Now therefore fear 
ye not : I will nourish you and your little ones. And he 
comforted them, and spake kindly unto them."* 

Who can sufficiently admire the mild and tender, com- 
passionate and pious Joseph ? In him are seen all those 
sweet graces of religion, which an apostle calls aptly the 
fruits of the spirit ; u love, joy, peace, long-suffering, 
gentleness, goodnes, faith, meekness, temperance."f He 
buries all recollection of past injuries in oblivion, he breathes 
assurances, not merely of forgiveness but affection ; and he 
turns the minds of his brethren to the infinite and adorable 
Jehovah, as the genuine author and director of all that has 
happened. 

Joseph lived fifty-four years after this, but the history of 
that period is compressed by the sacred writer within the 
narrow compass of a few words. He had brought Egypt 
through a sore trial to a great state uf prosperity ; he had 
happily been the instrument of saving his father's house 
from destruction, his brethren were settled in the most fer- 
tile part of the country, and he lived to see his posterity of 
the fourth generation, in the line of Ephraim, and of the 
third in that of Manasseh. 

Crowned with the blessings of a considerate prince, and a 

* Gen. 1. 20, 21. f Gal - V. 22, 23. 



&3S SCRIPTURE BIOGRAPHY. 

grateful people, he ended his davs in peace, at the age o£ 
one hundred and ten years. But gifted with the spirit oF 
prophecy, he left a strict charge with the Israelites, that 
when the time should come of their deliverance from Egypt, 
they should take his bones with them, that they might be 
laid with those of his fathers. Tnis dying charge was 
solmenly obeyed, and in all their journeyings through the 
wilderness, the Israelites carried the remains of Joseph, who 
saw u bv faith" the subjugation and glorious emancipation 
of the tribes. 

In this history we perceive the advantage of early pietj? 
and habitual integrity. Joseph's life is a beautiful lesson of 
instruction and encouragement to young persons to resist 
temptation, to have God, or a sense of the divine presence, 
always before them, to be diligent in their callings, affec- 
tionate in their social relations, calm and contented in a 
low sphere, faithful in offices of trust, and to be humble and 
devout in every station of their lives. 

but can we contemplate the history of Joseph, and not 
perceive a striking similitude between his circumstances and 
those of the Son of GuD ? His future exaltation was pre<- 
fi^ured in supernatural visions of the night ; — the incarna- 
tion, sufferings, and ascension of the Messiah were veiled 
under the shadowy representations of the law, represented in 
mystic rites and ceremonies, and foretold by prophecies and 
signs in abundance. Joseph was a mark of envy to his 
brethren, and Jesus came to his own, " who received him 
not." 

The brothers of Joseph cast him into a pit, and plotted 
^iis death, but were prevented by the interposition of heaven, 
JYsus actually did suffer pain and mocking, agony and death, 
at the instance and the clamours of his brethren the Jews, 
Joseph was sold for money by the avaricious advice of Ju- 
dah — and Judas, the disciple of the Lord, sold his master's 
innocent blood into the hands of his enemies for thirty pieces 
©f silver. 

The virtuous patriarch was tempted in the house of Po- 
tiphar, by the most dangerous solicitations to sin, in the 
prime of his days, but he prevailed. Jesus endured tempta- 
tion on the mountain in the wilderness, and on the pinnacle 
of the temple, hut came off more than conqueror, foiling 
the arch- adversary of mankind, and leading him into cap- 
tivity. 



JOSEPH. 139 

Joseph, in prison, meek, and submissive, diligent and 
faithful, typifies the lowly Redeemer in all the steps of his 
degradation and suffering. But from a dungeon we have 
seen the pious youth elevated suddenly to the right hand of 
a throne, and possessing the government of ail Eg, pt. Jesus, 
the meek suffering lamb of God was tk numbered with the- 
transgressors," and died as a malefactor, but from the 
gloomy chambers of the grave he arose in trim pliant ma- 
jesty, he burst the adamantine chains of death, he disarmed 
the tyrant of his sting, he ascended up on high, and is seated 
at the right hand of the throne of God, having all po r 
both in heaven and upon earth. Uv Joseph's care and wise 
contrivance the nations around, as well as the Egyptians, 
were preserved in a time of grievous famine. Our divine 
Redeemer hath procured for us ah blessings temporal and 
spiritual. Ho is himself the bread of life which came down 
from heaven, and he gives unto every believing, repenting 
sinner, food of a divine nature, pardon, forgiveness, grace^ 
and glory. 






140 SCRIPTURE BIOGRAPHY. 

JOB. Jyfr/>^„. 

Supposed to have died anno mundi 2542. 

AFFLICTION is a school in which, though the disci- 
j me is severe, more benefit may be acquired than in 
th , situations which are generally courted by man kind. 
fPles ure a d prosperity Have a tendency to corrupt the 
heart, and 10 call forth its evil passions into action ; but ad- 
versity is calculated to bring us 10 our senses, to mortify va- 
nii) and pride, to make us serious, submissive, and devout. 
When we experience the loss of riches, friends, honours, or 
heaita, we ca.. scat ceiy help condemning our want of dis- 
cernment in placing an undue affection upon perishable ob- 
jects. If this tnought is cherished as it ought to be, and is 
carried into a train of considerate inquiry , we shall be con- 
vinced that this world was not intended to be our portion, 
and tnat all its boasted good is inadequate to satisfy the de- 
sires ot an immortal spirit. The volumes of history are 
filled with instances of the mutability of fortune, and in the 
sacred records we are presented with a variety of striking 
examples, o convince us that crosses and disappointments 
are wiseh directed by providence for this purpose, that man 
may learn not to expect happiness in the creature but in the 
Creator, not on earth but in heaven. 

Tne story of job is an instructive picture, from the con- 
templation of which many important truths may be ga- 
thered ; on the use that is to be made of the world, on the 
design of affliction, and on the temper of mind which afflic- 
tions ought to produce. 

Concerning the age and country in which this eminent 
person lived there are numerous conjectures. As there are 
in this book no allusions to the deliverance of the Israelites, 
or to any part ot tne Mosaic ritual, it is probable that Job 
lived in the patriarchal times, or at least that he died before 
the departure of the chosen people from the house of bond- 
ag :. He is sud to have lived " in the land of Uz." or 
E om, which country obtained that name from Uz, the son 
of Dishan, the son of Seir the Horite, and therefore it seems 
evident that Job was a descendant of Esau. Hence some 
hive supposed that he was the same with Jobab, the second 
king of the Jidomites.* Tnere are also different opinions as 

* Gen. xxxvi. 33. 



JOB. 141 

to the author of the book of Job, but the currant one is, that 
it was composed b\ Moses while he led a pastoral life in Mi- 
dian : and certainly it was well calculated to console the 
minds of his afflicted brethren in Egypt, and to preserve 
the/n from giving way through despondency to idolatry or 
despair. 

There have not been wanting some bold commentators, 
who have turned this whole h. story into a parable or alle- 
gory, and upon equally good principles might they have 
allegorized the story of Abraham, of Isaac, of Jacob, or of 
Joseph. The scriptures speak of Job as of a real person, not 
only in the book which bears his name, but in other places, 
as in the prophecy of Ezckiel,* and-in the epistie of St. 
James.} 

It would tend to lessen the importance of the character, to 
weaken our admiration, and to remove the force of the ex- 
ample of Job, if we were for a single moment to admit that 
he is but the creature of fancy, and designed to represent the 
state of the Jewish people in bondage, or an afflicted good 
man in a general sense. 

To profit as we ought to do by this affecting narrative, we 
must receive it as a fact, that he " was a man of the land of 
Uz, perfect, and upright, one that feared God and eschewed 
evii." 

The manner in "which he is introduced to our notice com- 
mands our love and veneration. In a few emphatic words 
his character bursts upon us as that ol a star of the first 
magnitude in the moral world. He was " a perfect and an 
upright man," comparatively speaking, for in an absolute 
sense no man is perfect and upright. The perfection and 
uprightness of Job, therefore, must imply that his religion 
was sincere, and that his conduct was conformable to his 
principles. A man may profess pure doctrines, and he may 
recommend piety in his language, while his manner of life 
gives the lie to his declarations, and it will be seen that what 
he pretends to believe has no sort of influence upon his own 
actions. Job not only believed in and worshipped God., but 
u he eschewed evil," by shunning with pious abhorrence, all 
communication with the wicked, and with tne works of dark- 
ness* A hatred of sin is the most striking evidence that 
can possiby be given of our love of holiness. It is in vain 
to talk of religion, of the fear of God, and oi the exceikney 

* Ezek. xiv. 14, j James v. ll m 



242 SCRIPTURE BIOGRAPHY. 

«f his revelation, if we do not manifest the sincerity of our 
faith by renouncing the company oi sinners, and by avoiding 
all appearance of evil. 

The circumstances of Job shew the purity of his cha- 
racter in the most briiliant light. Wnen a man sits at his 
ease, having every thing at his command, possessed of 
riches m abundance, and vested with high authority, he 
is surrounded with proportionate temptations. Tiie con- 
dition of Job was great in each of these respects ; he was 
exceedingly rich in ilocks and herds, and surpassed kV all 
the men oi the east ;" he was, besides, possessed of great 
power in the country where he lived ; and he was regarded 
wiih reverence u by the young and the old, by nobles and 
by princes." 

He enjoyed all that could be wished for in this world ; 
for with a large estate he had a considerable household him- 
self, besides seven sons and three daughters, who were settled 
near him, in the most affluent circumstances, and who lived 
in mutual harmony and good will. 

Temporal ease and prosperity are but too apt to produce 
indifference to religion, it not possitive licentiousness and in- 
fidelity, but Job, in the midst of his greatness, remembered 
God, and failed not in fulfilling those devodonal duties which 
became him as the head of a numerous family. When his 
children were feasting at each other's houses, the good uicta 
trembled lest, in the height of enjoyment, they might be 
guilty of any irreligious conduct, and therefore, as the 
priest of his household, he offered sacrifices of atonement 
on their behalf, " according to the number of them all." 
This was his constant practice ; and he was equally atten- 
tive to those private devotions and duties which are necessa- 
ry to keep up an habitual fervour of piety in his soul ; for 
he says himself, " In the da; s when God preserved me, his 
candle shined upon my head, [a beautiful expression repre- 
senting his sense of the divine favour] and by his light I 
walked through darkness. The secret of God was upon my 
tabernacle, ; the Almighty was with me."* 

Here we behold a man of the most exalted rank, and en* 
joying immense riches, placing ail his happiness in the en- 
joy ment of God's favour, walking in a dark and idolatrous 
age by the light of divine truth, and feeling no satisfaction 
in any other consideration than this, that " the Almighty 
-was with him." 

- Chap, xxix 3, 4 



\ 



JOB. HJ 

What a contrast does holy Job present to the dignified 
and wealthy men of modern times, who, against the puresfi 
precepts, and notwithstanding the clearest discovery of the 
divine will, encourage their families in dissipation and im- 
morality, discourage, by their own example, all regard for 
religion, and make use of the powerful means they possess, 
not in promoting virtue and piety, but profaneness and infi- 
delity ! 

The outward walk and conversation of Job corresponded 
with his private deportment. He was not contented with 
feeling pious sentiments, and with practising family religion ; 
his public situation required the discharge of active duties, 
and his great wealth laid him under a necessity of attend- 
ing to the wants and miseries of his fellow-creatures. Job 
was sensible of this essential truth, that religion must be 
proved by action as well as by appearance and professions. 
The higher ranks are but " stewards of the manifold gifts of 
God," and Job was abundantly sensible that he had all these 
blessings committed to him, not for his use alone, but for 
the comfort and benefit of the miserable and distressed. 

When, therefore, in the mysterious ordination of Provi- 
dence, he was himself hurled from a palace to a dunghill, 
and reduced to the most pitiable of all conditions, it was a 
consolation to him to reflect that his wealth had net been mis- 
applied. On the contrary, .he could with honest boldness 
reply to the false charges which ware brought against him 
this noble vindication : " I delivered the poor that cried, 
and the fatherless, and him that had none to help him : 
the blessing of him that was ready to perish came upon me ; 
and I caused the widow's heart to sing for joy : I put on 
righteousness, and it clothed me ; my judgment was as a robe 
and a diadem : I was eyes to the blind, and feet was I to 
the lame : I was a father to the poor ; and the cause which 
1 knew not 1 searched out : and I brake the jaws of the 
wicked, and plucked the spoil out of his teeth."* Did I 
not weep for him that was in trouble ? Was not my soul 
grieved for the poor i n -\ " i have not withheld the poor from 
their desire, nor have caused the eyes of the widow to fail : 
I have not eaten my morsel myself alone, but the fatherless 
hath eaten thereof : (for from my youth he was brought up 
with me as with a father, and I have guidedher fromrm mo- 
ther's womb :) I have not seen any perish for want of cloth- 

; Job xsix. 12— 7, t Ib - xx * 25, 



144 SCRIPTURE BIOGRAPHY, 

ing, or any poor without covering ; but his loins have bles- 
sed me, and he was warmed with the fleece of mv sheep."* 

We have here not only the man of sympathetic, benevo- 
lence, " who could weep with those who wept," and who 
could express a tender sorrow for the cause of their grief, 
but also the man of active generosity, who could distribute 
his substance with a liberal hand to the poor and the destitute 
of all descriptions, without waiting to receive their prayer 
and supplication. His house was an asylum to the widow 
and the fatherless ; and he approved himself a generous de- 
fender of those who were injured and oppressed. As a ruler 
he. was not content with merely discharging his public duty, 
but he interested himself with pious care and pains on the 
behalf of the poor. If a cause appeared difficult and per- 
plexed, he endeavoured to ^ search it out," or to divest it 
of all ambiguity, in order that strict justice might be ad- 
ministered. 

Such a character cannot be too highly estimated, and 
wherever one of a similar description is placed bv Provi- 
dence, a public blessing is bestowed, for which no praises 
can be adequate. 

Who, then, would not wish to see such a man as Job enjoy- 
ing an uninterrupted series of prosperity ? Who would not be 
painfully concerned at beholding a man of such exemplary 
righteousness the sport of calamity, and reduced to beg- 
gary ? 

But here it is that we have reason to admire him still 
more. His integrity cannot be proved fully hut by his pas- 
sing through the fire of adversity. And Providence, in the 
history of Job, has given to all generations a manifest proof 
that great afflictions are not marks of divine displeasure, but 
that severe visitations may sometimes befal the righteous in 
mercy, as well as the wicked in judgment. 

Job is declared to be the favourite of God, for " in every 
nation every one that feareth him and worketh righteous- 
ness is accepted with him."f 

The attestation of the Almighty to Job's sincerity is very 
remarkable ; for it appears to have been directed to Satan, 
the original deceiver of mankind. 

The holy angels are described as presenting themselves 
before God, to give an account of their respective missions ; 
and Satan, the agent of evil, appears also on this occasion, 

* Job. xxxi. 16—20, -jf Acts x - 35 - 



JOB. u£ 

before the awful tribunal. Nothing more is hereby to be 
understood than that divine Providence overrules all orders 
of beings, and that the evil spirits themselves, who are actu- 
ated by a blind perversity against heaven, are nevertheless, 
restrained and directed in their operations to effect 
the plan of general good. While the prince of darkness 
with his numerous legions are busily employed in counter- 
acting the divine counsels, in producing new scenes of cor- 
ruption and turbulence, in aiding the wicked devices of the 
cruel and the ambitious, and in persecuting and tempting 
the virtuous and godly, the unerring Lord of all turns the 
evil ultimately to another purpose, causes the crafty to be 
caught in their own snares, and " makes all things work to- 
gether for good to them that love God."* 

The Ruler of the universe, seated upon his throne, be- 
holding the rebellious leader of the fallen hosts amongst the 
myriads of spirits who crowded to attend upon his will, 
singles him out from all the rest, and puts this question to 
him, M From whence comest thou ?" 

The audacious spirit replied without hesitation, " From, 
going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down 
in it." 

This is the condition in which Satan is uniformly des- 
cribed in every part of the holy writings. We have here an 
express declaration thatthe tempter ranges in this world prac- 
tising, as far as he is permitted, his evil acts upon mankind. 
In the gospel the same thing is expressly maintained, and 
various instances of his operations are plainly recorded. — 
To doubt, therefore, of his actual existence, or to assert that 
Satan is only a personification of moral evil, is to commit an 
unwarrantable violation upon common language, and to re- 
duce the scripture history at once to the darkest uncertainty. 

The character and the circumstances of the devil are 
clearly expressed in the records of truth, and we are cau- 
tioned against his devices, because " he goeth about in dark- 
ness as a lion, seeking whom he may devour."! 

And why should we doubt his reality ? Is there any thing 
more improbable in the existence of evil angels than of good 
ones ? Or is such a distinction more inconsistent than that 
which we see prevails among our own species, of wicked 
and good men ? We have innumerable instances recorded of 
the visible appearance and the wonderful interposition of the 
blessed spirits, who are declared to be u ministers unto them 

f Rom. vni. 2S. f i Pet. y. 3. 



i4Q SCRIPTURE BIOGRAPHY. 

that are the heirs of salvation."* But are we to deny their 
existence and their ministration, because we are not able to 
form an idea of a spirit, because we cannot disengage our 
thoughts from material objects, and because no special evi- 
dence has been manifested to us of the invisible world ? 

What is above us :nay be as incomprehensible, as varier| 5 
and as innumerable, as what is below us in the scale of be- 
ing. We are assured that there are countless and impercep- 
tible tribes of living creatures far below the standard of hu- 
manity, and how are we capable of knowing what hosts of 
spiritual intelligeneies exist above us! If we take the Bible 
for the rule of our faith, we cannot entertain a doubt of the 
existence and agency of spiritual beings, some willingly 
engaged in the service of the Almighty, and ready to 
exercise all good offices on the behalf of mankind ; and 
others, from a- malicious spirit of revenge, ever eager to 
cross his designs, and to lead men into error and destruc- 
tion. Repeated and very particular cautions are given us to 
beware of the machinations of the apostate spirits, who are 
the enemies of our salvation j and then, by way of en- 
couragement, we are assure d that the good angels are active- 
ly emploved on our side, ready to render us every necessary* 
service, to check the intrusions of the adversary, to en- 
courage every virtuous principle, and as being always reader 
to " rejoice over one siiner that repenteth."j. 

We return from this digression to the colloquy which is 
represented a& having taken place between God and Satan, 
upon the character of Job. As soon as the tempter had 
given his answer respecting what had been his employment, 
the Almighty, seemingly in allusion to the general corrup- 
tion and depravity that prevailed in the world, said to him, 
■*■* Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none 
like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that 
feareth God and escheweth evil.":£ 

Satan is sometimes called the god of this world, from the 
number of his votaries ; and at that period his power and in- 
fluence were vastly extensive, almost the whole earth being 
covered with idolatry. This reach of influence, and his con- 
sequent arrogance, may perhaps be implied by his ranging 
to and fro in the earth, and his appearing audaciously before 
God with the obedient angels. He seems to have exulted 
in the power which he possessed, though he was presently 
forced to acknowlege his impotence, in not being able to d<? 
the slightest injury to Job without divine permission, 

* Heb, i. 14. f L *ke xv, 10. * Job i. 8. 



JOB. UF 

In reply to the demand of the Almighty, he charges Job 
at on e with being a hypocrite, whose religion was the mere 
consequence ot his prosperity. kk Doth Job," says he, ik ftar 
CjwD ior nought?" It i^ observable that the accusations 
bi ought by the emissaries oi evil against the righteous have 
been always ot the same stamp in every age. It is Satan's 
wish to make men hypocrites, and when ht finds that their in- 
tegrity is proof against all his artillery, he contrives to have 
them stigmatized among men, as bearing the very character 
which he has in vain attempted to make them. 

Satan repiesents Job as a man without any real regard for 
God, and one who would readily curse him to his face, if he 
Were once deprived of all his temporal goods. The Al- 
mighty was welt acquainted with the sincerity of his ser- 
vant's piety, and needed not any trial to convince him of it, 
but, for the sake of Job himself, for the service of the church, 
and to mortify the adversary, he gave him this permission, 
" behold, all that he hath is in thy power, ; only upon him- 
sell put not forth thine hand." 

With this authority Satan goes forth from the divine pre- 
sence, and presently puts all his engines in motion against 
the righteous Job, managing them with peculiar dexterity, 
in order to destroy his integrity and confidence in God. 

A series of unparalleled calamities pours in upon the ho- 
ly sufferer, so that bt fore he can have time to compose him- 
self under the shock of one afflicting piece ot intelligence, 
another, and another succeeds in the most rapid and terrify- 
ing order. 

While his sons and his daughters were feasting at their 
eldest brother's house, and every one was oft" his guard, the 
Sabeans fell upon the oxen and the asses, and slew all the 
servants, except the bearer Of the mournful tale. The un- 
fortunate messenger was yet relating the particulars of the 
disaster when another rushed in, almost breathless, and in- 
formed Job that the lightning had fallen from heaven and 
co sumed all the sheep, with his fellow-servants who kt.pt 
them. The news of this fearful visitation has scarcely reach- 
ed his ears before another messenger enters, and tells him 
that the Chaldeans had seized upon all the camels, and had 
slain the other servants with the edge of the sword. Thus, 
then, at a stroke, is the richest man in the east reduced on 
a level with the lowest of his dependants. The affluent and 
generous Job is become a beggar. But then in this sudden 
privation of all his riches, he is beginning to console him- 






143 SCRIPTURE BIOGRAPHY. 

self, perhaps, that he has children— when suddenly appears 
an affrighted messenger, who, with a death-like horror in 
his countenance, proclaims the fatal intelligence, that while 
** his sons and daughters were eating and drinking wine in 
their eldest brother's house, behold there came a great wind 
from the wilderness, and smote the four corners of the 
house, and it fell upon the young men, and they are dead ; 
and i only am escaped alone to tell thee."* 

What a climax of miseries is here, and how dreadfully do 
they pour one upon another, rushing with an impetuous 
fury, like the crash of contending elements, upon the senses 
of Job without leaving him a single moment of interval to 
collect his disturbed spirits, and to call upon his God ? But 
the last particular in this dismal picture of woe is peculiarly 
distressing, and is aggravating in all its circumstances. The 
loss of riches may be borne with. The mind of a man may 
support itself under the intelligence of a violent shipwreck, 
in which all his property has been whelmed in the mighty 
deep ; but when to this weight of misfortune the sudden 
destruction of his whole family is added, and that " his 
sons and his daughters" have been swept away by a single 
stroke, it is more than human nature, unaided by divine 
grace, can bear. Here, however, was a dreadful addition to 
Job's misery, for his children were not only taken off sud- 
denly, but in the midst of mirth and jollity, in the gay mo- 
ment of festive enjoyment, and perhaps of intemperance, 
certainly not in that serious frame of mind which one would 
wish a friend to possess in his last moments. Job, we have 
already seen, had the most tender concern lest, at these en- 
tertainments, his children should be guilty of impiety, and 
took care to sanctify them, by offering sacrifices on their 
behalf ; what now, therefore, must be his feelings, on hear- 
ing that " in the midst of their wine and their mirth," they 
were all swept off together into eternity ? 

An excess of grief might bear an excuse in a case of mi- 
sery so complicated as this. Human nature is weak and ir- 
ritable, and the best of men cannot but be sensibly affected 
by the heavy stroke of calamity. 

Were we, then, to see Job, after this weight of trouble, 
fallen upon the earth in silent horror, or in exquisite agony, 
we should certainly not condemn, but apologize for and 
pity nim. 
' But while he calls for our sympathy, he attracts our ad- 

* Cb. i. 18 ; 19, - 



JOB. 149 

miration and even our astonishment. The good man bore 
the relation of his several losses in patient silence, till the de- 
struction of his family closed the direful catalogue, and then 
he u arose, rent his mantle," according to the custom of 
the age, " shaved his head, and fell down upon the ground 
and worshipped." 

The holy sufferer patiently submitted to the awful dis- 
pensations of Providence with an acknowlegement that all 
the blessings he had lost were originally given to him by the 
Almighty, who, therefore, had an unquestionable right to 
withdraw them at his pleasure. "Naked I came out of 
my mother's womb," says he, " and naked shall I return 
thither : the Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away ; 
blessed be the name of the Lord."* 

It is easy to express gratitude for the bounties of heaven, 
when they are showering upon us ; but it is the height of 
faith, and the essence of piety, to be thankful for blessings 
we have lost, and to praise God in the fire of affliction. 

Satan in this onset was baffled. The integrity of Job re- 
mained unshaken in all this storm, and his confidence in the 
Almighty stood firm when his worldly comforts were all 
torn up by the roots. " In all this Job sinned not, neither 
charged he God foolishly." 

But he must undergo yet sorer trials. The tempter, bent 
upon his malicious purpose, maintains in a second confe- 
rence with God, that Job's integrity is not proof against 
the loss of health. u Skin for skin," says he, u yea, all 
that a man hath will he give for his life : but put forth 
thine hand now, and touch his bone and his flesh, and he 
will curse thee to thy face."f 

He thought that pain and anguish must produce unbe- 
lieving thoughts, because he judged the st?** of other minds 
by his own. Satan is doomed to eternal restlessness and tor- 
ment, being wholly cut off from all hope of a return to hap- 
piness. He is, therefore, at perpetual enmity with God, 
and when men are visited with excruciating maladies, he 
suggests to them the base idea that they are unjustly dealt 
with, that the Almighty is tyrannical, that his dispensations 
are unequal, and that the doctrine of Providence, with all 
its consequences, is%ut a fable. 

It is no easy thing to preserve an evenness of mind when 
the body is racked with pain, or pining away through weak- 
ness. There is a close connexion between'the mental fac- 

! CK i. 21. I Ch. ii. 4. 



150 SCRIPTURE BIOGRAPHY. 

ulties and the corpor al, consequently when the one arc 
greatly affected the others cannot be unmoved. The spirit 
or' evil, knowing tuis to be his great resource, reserved it tor 
the last. One calamity succeeded anotiie. in painful succes- 
sion, each rising in magnitude over the preceding, tili no- 
thing bat oae disnal scene of horror was presented to the 
mind of Job. Now, therefore, is the time, in the midst of 
ail this darkness, to come to a closer attack, and to assail nim 
in nis person. But Satan dares not do this without the divine 
permission. Though his range is wide, and his instruments 
are potent, he can go no farther than he is allowed, nor can 
he touch a single nair of our heads without the leave of the 
Almighty-, 

In this conflict Satan was destined to experience a severe 
mortification ; and Job to receive, notwithstanding the ma- 
lice of his enemy, everlasting renown. 

The adversary received an enlargement of his powers, and 
instantly he poured out his vengeance upon the person of 
Job, who was covered " with sore boils, from the sole of his 
foot unto the crown of his head."* 

Many conjectures have been formed on the subject of the 
disease with which this eminent man was visited. But who 
can pretend to ascertain the nature of what was evidently 
supernatural ? He was not afflicted with any of the com- 
plaints which were common in that age, nor is there any 
thing in the account which is given of his case, that can lead 
to a positive decision. It was a malady far above human 
skill, and so intolerable as to drive from him all human as- 
sistance. In this wretched state he vk sat down among the 
ashes, and took himself a potsherd to scrape himself withal." 
We mav form some faint idea of the miserable condition 
of Job from his own mournful language and pathetic com- 
plaints. **• The arrows of the Almighty are within me ; the 
poison whereof drinketh up my spirit ; the terrors of God 
do set themselves against me."f " When I lie down, 1 say, 
When shall I arise, and the night be gone ? And I am full 
of tossings to and fro unto the da vning of the day. My flesh 
is clothed with worms and clods of dust ; my skin is broken 
and become ioathsome."± " My bones are pierced in me 
in the night season, and my sinews take no rest, ^y the 
great force of my disease is my garment changed j it bindetfe 
me about as the collar of my coat."§ 

* ch. ii. 7. t J° b vL 4 - 

I lb. vii. 4> £.• $ lb. xxx. IT, 18, 



JOB. 151 

In the time of sickness we naturally look for the consola- 
tions of friendship, and lor the dutiful attentions of domestics, 
but Job is cut off from all this : M My brethren," says he, 
" are far from me, and mine acquaintance are verily estrang- 
ed from me. My kinsfolk have failed, and my familiar 
friends have forgotten me. They that dwell in mine house 
and my maids count me for a stranger : and I am an alien 
in their sight, i called my servant and he gave me no an- 
swer ; I entreated him with my mouth."* 

The persons who had been partakers of his prosperity, 
who had been rescued from poverty by his liberal hand, and 
those who had been fed by his bounty, who ate their daily 
bread at his expence, now shunned and despised him as a 
miserable outcast, undeserving of compassion. In some 
places he speaks as being kk persecuted," and that too hy- 
men who were formerly his bosom friends. Instead of ex- 
periencing pity and receiving consolation from them, he was 
abhorred as a man suffering under the divine displeasure, 
and therefore as not entitled to the common offices of hu- 
manity. 

But in all this accumulation of misery, one might well 
expect that the " wife of his bosom" would feel a s) m pa- 
thetic concern for his sufferings, and endeavour to pour some 
balm into his wounded mind, although she might not be 
able to alleviate his bod'ly torments. Here, however, Job 
was fated to receive a wound more deadly than that inflicted 
by the adder's tooth. His wife, instead of administering 
comfort to him in his distress, or by a tender solicitude 
easing the agony of his mind, aggravated his misery by ad- 
vice calculated to answer the purpose of the devil. u Dost 
thou still retain thine integrity V 9 Says she, " Curse God 
and die." 

Though the word rendered curse signifies also to bless, yet 
the evil meaning of the speaker is not hereby removed. The 
former sense implies something very shocking and impious ; 
and if she advised Job to blaspheme God, it was from a con- 
viction that bv so doing the vengeance of heaven would in- 
stantly deprive him of his existence. By rendering it u bless 
God and die," it reduces her speech to an ironical contempt 
of Job's faith and piety. In either case her counsel was of- 
fensive to the distressed, but still religious patriarch. u He 
said unto her. Thou speakest as one of the foolish women 
speaketh ? What ! shall we receive pood at the hand of 
God, and shall we not also receive evil ?" 

• lb. xuc. 13, 14, 15, IS. f U>- w- 12 



152 SCRIPTURE BIOGRAPHY. 

The confidence of Job in the goodnes3 of God continues 
firm in all this complication of misery, in the privation of 
worldly good, the persecutions of men, the cruel neglect of 
his dependants, and the sinful advice of his wife. 

We here see that object which a heathen philosopher says 
is " worthy the contemplation of the Gods," a man endur- 
ing all the calamities of life with a firm and an unshaken 
mind. 

in this wretched condition the pious sufferer was visited 
by three friends from distant parts, Eliphaze the Teman- 
ite, iiildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite, all of 
them men of piety, and zealous for the honour of the Al- 
mighty. When they first came to the spot where he lay, 
his loathsome disease had so disfigured his person, that they 
did not know him. So great and lamentable a change in one 
of such high rank and of such eminent virtue very sensi- 
bly affected their hearts, " and they lifted up their .voice and 
wept."* 

These men sat down upon the ground near Job, and con- 
tinued in a state of pensive silence seven days and seven 
nights. They knew not what kind of consolation to sug- 
gest, and they saw that the wretched sufferer was literally 
u eat up with excessive grief." At last that patient endur- 
ance, which had so long distinguished him, gave way. His 
disease probably became more and more excruciating, till at 
length the mind felt the weight too great to bear, and Job 
gave vent to his sorrow in some passionate exclamations.— 
He did not, it is true, charge God foolishly, he did not ex- 
press any profane sentiment, or impeach the divine recti- 
tude, but his impatience was manifested in " cursing the day 
of his birth," and in an importunate desire of death. 

After pouring forth the most pathetic lamentations, his 
three friends severally addressed him in some very fine dis- 
courses, full of pious sentiments, and clothed in elevated 
language. But there was a want of tenderness and liberali- 
ty in these good men during the whole of their controversy 
with Job, whom they reproved with great severity for his 
passionate exclamations, and unjustly accused of heinous of- 
fences. It was their error, and it is even now a very com- 
mon one, that great misfortunes and calamities are divine 
judgments. They conceived it impossible that the Almighty 
would visit an innocent person with such severe dispensa- 
tions j and they therefore rashly concluded that Job, with 

* Job. u. 12. 




. JOB. |£9 

all his outward piety, must have been guilty of some very 
acrocious crimes, and consequently that his religion was 
mere pretence and hypocrisy. 

Job, roused by such unjust charges, vindicated himself in 
a very powerful and affecting manner, but it must be admit- 
ted that in his apologies, if we may so call them, he blended 
too much self righteousness, and talked of his innocence and 
his uprightness with too great a confidence. He dwelt upon 
his virtuous actions, and upon his religious life, with a com- 
placency that ill becomes man, who, in his best and most 
sanctified state, is still but a sinner. 

While this dispute was vigorously maintained, a very ex- 
traordinary young man, named Elihu, attended with great 
seriousness to all the arguments that were urged on both 
sides ; but, when the debate was ended, he modestly inter- 
posed as a moderator, reproving by turns Job and his friends, 
and vindicating, in the most convincing manner, and in the 
most eloquent language, the ways of Providence. Though 
possessed of more wisdom than any of the sages before him,, 
he commences his discourse in terms of respectful diffidence, 
conscious that the young, however knowing they may be, 
ought to listen with reverence, and to speak with modesty in 
the presence of the aged. " I am young," says he, ll and 
ye are very old ; wherefore I was afraid, and durst not 
shew you my opinion. 1 said days should speak, and mul- 
titude of years should teach wisdom."* What an excellent 
pattern for our imitation, and especially for young persons, 
who, instead of listening with earnest attention to the opini- 
ons of elder and wiser men than themselves, are but too for- 
ward to take the chair of instruction, and to oppose the 
crude theories of inexperience to the tried principles of 
wisdom. 

But there is a zeal which becomes even the young, 
when it proceeds from the sincere love of truth, and not 
from a principle of ostentation. 

Wnen Elihu saw that Job's friends persisted in condemn- 
ing him without a cause, he was angry with them ; nor was 
he less so with Job for justifying himself rather than God, 
who doeth righteously. 

His preliminary observation, that " great men are not al- 
ways wise, neither do the aged understand judgment," is 
convincing, and furnishes an unanswerable apology for in- 
terfering in this interesting debate. 

* Jeb xxxii. 6, 7. 




154 SCRIPTURE BIOGRAPHF, 

The age and the rank of Job's visitors rendered their er* 
rors the more dan^eioas, and it was, therefore, of conse- 
quence that the true doctrine oi Providence should be set in 
a clear iigiit. Eiinu undertook tiiis important cause, pro- 
fessing, at the same time, that he acted under the influence 
of the Holy Spirit, and that his concern for the truth was su- 
perior to all respect for particular men. " I know not," says 
be, u to give flattering lilies ; in so doing my Maker would 
soon take me away."* ' 

As Job was by far the most interested in this important 
question, Elihu addresses himself directly to him ; and, in 
a strain ol the most captivating and powerful eloquence, 
proves that the ways of the Almighty, though datk and mys- 
terious, are perfectly just. He endeavours also, with a for- 
cible energy of argument, to convince him of his great er- 
ror in se'tting up a plea of merit for the justification of 
himself, and for having uttered these unbecoming words ; 
" 1 am clean, without transgression ; neither is there ini- 
quity in me." 

It is the great drift of this admirable speaker to beat down 
the wretched delusion, that man can possibly render him- 
self acceptable to God ; or, in other words, can be justified 
by virtue of his own works. He does not dispute the point 
so much agitat d by the others, whether Job really was a 
just or a righteous man. Admitting this fact to its greatest 
extent, Job must btill be considered as highly culpable for 
justifying himself rather than, or without Goi>. 

Tliis was the great fault of the sufferer, and it was in a 
great measure to bring him out of so dangerous an error, 
that these severe visitations were permitted to take place. 

The reasoning of Elihu had its effect upon Job, for he made 
no reply to it, as he had done to the discourses of his three 
friends. Their arguments onlv served to irritate his wound- 
ed mind ; but those of Elihu opened his eyes to a humbling 
sense of himself as a sinner before God. Elihu, at the close 
of his sublime discourse, seems thus to announce tie ap- 
proach of the divine presence, and the finishing of Job's 
troubles : " And now men see not the bright light which is 
in the clouds ; but the wind passeth and cleanseth them. 
Fair weather cometh out of the north : with God is terrible 
inajestv. Touching the Almighty we cannot find him out ; 
he is excellent in power and in judgment, and in plenty of 

* Job xxxli. 22, 



JOB. 15$ 

justice: he will not afflict. Men do, therefore, fear him : 
he resptcteth not an) that are wise of hv.art."^ 

And now God himself appears, and takes a part in the 
controversy, contir -dug what had been asserted of the wis- 
dom and rectitude of his ways by Eiihu, and illustrating the 
whole by such a display of his attributes, that Job is con- 
vinced of his folly, and humbles himself before the Lord in 
these penitential words : tc Behold I am vile : what shall I 
answer thee ? . 1 will lay mine hand upon my mouth. Once 
have i spoken, but I will not answer ; yea, twice, but I will 
proceed no further."! He- afterwards expresses his contri- 
tion in still more humiliating terms : ~ 4 I have heard of thee 
b) the hearing of the ear, but rov n irt eye seeth thee - 7 
wherefore i abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes."! 

At the conclusion the Almighty reproves the friends of 
Job, for not speaking of him the thing that was right, but 
no observation is made upon tne discourse of Eiihu, because 
his co msel co the sufferer to humble himseil as a sinner be- 
fore the Lord, and to acknowlege the rectitude of the divine 
proceedings towards him, was good. 

The great end of Job's sufferings being over, which was 
to purge away the dross that mingled itself with his reli- 
gious principles, his " captivity was turned," and the sun uf 
prosperity once more shone upon his head The Almighty 
restored him two- fold more than what he had lost, so that 
" his latter end was more than his beginning." His friends 
flocked around him with presents in their hands, bemoaning 
and comforting him over all the evil that the Lord had 
brought upon him."$ 

His wife also became fruitful, and brought him the same 
number of children as he had lost, " and in -all the land were 
no women found so fair as the daughters of Job ; and their 
father gave them an inheritance among their brethren !" 

The age of this tried servant of God was, moreover, ex- 
tended to the long period of two hundred and ten years, one 
hundred and fortv of which more than compensated for the 
time he was suffered to be in tie furnace of affliction. 
He had the satisfaction of seeing fc< his sons and his sons' sons 
even four generations," and ,,,, then died, being old and lull 
of da) s." 

In the storv of [oh we are presented not only with an 

* Job xxxvi. 21, adjinttn. f lb. xl. 4, 5. 

4 lb, xlii. 5, 6. § lb. xlii. «. 



156' SCRIPTURE BIOGRAPHY. 

admirable pattern for our imitation, though shaded with the 
weiknessesof human nature, but also with a beautiful il- 
lustration of the economy of God's moral government. We 
see here, likewise, the power of temptation, and the ex- 
tent to which the agency of evil spirits may be carried. — 
The insufficiency of human reason to account for divine 
dispensations, is proved in the erroneous conclusions of Job's 
three friends, and the necessity of an absolute submission to 
the will of God, is the striking lesson inculcated through- 
out the whole book. 

Job was not a perfect model for the imitation of the tried 
believer ; but his example may be considered with great 
advantage ; and if we had not another pattern in the sacred 
volume, Job's would be the first to engage our attention, as 
an illustration of the great virtue of religious resignation. 
But a far higher character than Job shines forth in the gospel. 
Jesus Christ endured greater temptations and sufferings 
than this pious Arabian ; but " though he was afflicted, yet 
he opened not his mouth." His most pathetic complaint 
was, " Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me ;" 
but he immediately recovered his fortitude, and added, 
" Nevertheies not as I will, but as thou wilt."* 

Was Job deprived of all his worldly possessions ? The 
Messiah voluntarily resigned a throne of celestial glory and 
the majesty of heaven to endure poverty, suffering, wretch- 
edness, persecution, and even death itself, for us men, and 
for our salvation. The family and friends of Job abandoned 
him in the day of his visitation, but our Lord a came unto 
his own, and his own received him not ;"f he had " not 
where to lay his head ;"| he was betrayed by the perfidy 
of one disciple, denyed by the cowardice of another, and 
forsaken by all. He was lacerated with cruel scourges, his 
hands and feet were pierced with rugged irons, and his 
head was mangled with a crown of thorns. All the com- 
plainings of Job might literally have been adopted by him, 
but he murmured not, neither did a single expression of com- 
plaint burst from his lips. " As a sheep before her shearers 
is dumb, so he opened not his mouth. "§ 

Job pleaded his integrity, and set up a false claim to 
righteousness, which, however, he soon saw reason to re- 
nounce, when the Lord arose in judgment. But the patient 

* Math. xxvi. 39. f John i. n. 

$ Matt, yiii, 29, f B. Vol 7, 



JOB. 157 

Lamb of God was spotless, and when he was tried there 
was no imperfection found in him. w He suffered, the just 
for the u- just, that he mi^lit bring us unto God."* His 
was a voluntary sacrifice offered up to divine justice, to 
bring an everlasting righteousness for sinful men. He died 
for our sins, and rose again for our justification, that we 
might live forever through him. To this great atonement 
all the believers of old looked with faith and expectation; 
and this it was which supported Job in his trial ; u I 
know," saith he, " that my Redeemer liveth, and that he 
shall stand at the latter day upon the earth ; and though after 
mv skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh I shall see 
God ; whom 1 shall see for myself, and mine eyes shall be- 
hold, and not another. "f 

Animated by a like faith we shall be enabled to resist the 
fiery assaults of our great adversary, and to endure the storms 
of adversity with calm and unshaken minds. Faith in the 
divine promises will support the christian in every trying 
visitation, and give him such a degree of superiority over 
the world, that, while others are impatient under the yoke, 
he will " rejoice in the Lord, and joy in the God of his sal- 
vation."^: 

* i Pet. iii. 18. | J ob ™> 15 > x $> ST. * Hab. iii. K,- 



US SCRIPTURE BIOGRAPHY* 

MOSES. J-OJ^^, 

Bom anno mundi £433, died255§. 

AS lon\* as the memory of Joseph was held by the Egyp- 
tians in veneration, as that of the saviour ot their 
cou.^ry, his family were permitted to reside among them 
without molestation ; but no sooner did u a king arise who 
knev not Josepn,"* than the Israelites were regarded, both 
by him and his people, with a jealous eye. So short-lived is 
public gratitude and of such flimsy materials consists what 
the world dignifks with the epithets of honour and renown. 

It is not to be inferred that because this Pharaoh, which 
was the titular name of the Egvptian kings, i% knew not 
Joseph," he was, therefore, ignorant of the great services 
of that illustrious statesman. The public records of the 
nation had doubtless consecrated the name of Zaphnath- 
Paaneah, and the prosperous condition of the colony in Go- 
shen could not but excite an enquiry into the time and oc- 
casion of their first settlement in that province. It is not 
reasonable to suppose that the lapse of about seventy years 
should obliterate all recollection of the splendid administra- 
tion of Joseph, and of that awful visitation of Providence, 
which, but for his foresight and v\ isdom, would have deso- 
lated Egypt, as it did the neigbouring countries* Had the 
record of this event been left to mere tradition alone, it 
could not have sunk into oblivion for some ages at least ; of | 
course the extraordinary manner in which the evil was provi- 
ded against, must have been preserved with the memorial 
of the dearth itself 

In this view of the case, the ingratitude of the Egyp- 
tians towards the relations of their great, deliverer cannot 
be too strongly reprobated ; and the conduct of this Pha- 
raoh, who knew not Joseph, has stamped eternal 'infamy 
upon his name. 

Observing that the peaceful shepherds in Goshen flou- 
rished exceedingly, and that their numbers were upon the 
increase. Pha-aoh began to entertain apprehensions of dan- 
ger from them, lest in the event oi a war, they should prove 
powerful auxiiaries to his enemies, or suze the favourable 
opportunity of emigrating into the country from whence 
their ancestors originally came. 

* Riod. I & 



MOSES. 159" 

Under the impression of these ideas Pharaoh calls to- 
gether his council, and propose:-} 10 them v\ hat he terms u a 
wise measure ; M * lor evil minds always reckon wisdom and 
artifice as the same thing. A virtuous and considerate prince 
would have regarded the Hebrew colony as a valuable acces- 
sion to his empire, and, while they continued peaceable and 
industrious, he would never have tnought ot removing 
the.n from their pastoral and agricultural emplo\ ments, 
much less of reducing them to a state of abject slavery. 
But Pharaoh conceived himself insecure as long as thi-. sepa* 
raic body of men retained the most fertile province in his 
dominions, and though from their skill and industry his 
kingdom was strengthened and enriched, he iormed the re- 
solution of sacrificing certain advantages to prevent chime- 
rical evils. 

The courtiers readily acceded to the proposal of their 
master ; and the Israelites were forced to quit their flocks 
and their herds to labour in public works, under rigorous 
task masters, who afflicted them with heavy burdens. 

A considerable portion of avarice mixed itself with the 
other bad qualities of Pharaoh ; and as a proof that this* 
was his predominating passion, we are told that this perse- 
cuted people were employed to u build for him two trea- 
sure cities, Pithom and Raamses." 

It was one part of Pharaoh's design, in this oppression, to 
prevent the farther increase of the Hebrew nation ; but Pro* 
vidence counteracted his purpose ; and though the task- 
masters executed their orders with a rigour that exactly 
comported with the spirit of their employer, yet the more 
u thev afflicted them, the more the people multiplied and 
grew." 

This served to irritate the gloomy mind of the tyrant into 
a diabolical hatred ; and he formed the horrid resolution of 
rooting out this hated people, by cauelug all their male chil- 
dren to be put to death as soon as born. 

The sanguinary edict was accordingly issued ; and the 
Hebrew midwives were commanded, on pain of death, to 
put it into execution. But these pious women, fearing God 
more than they did the king, disobeyed the order ; and 
when they were called to account for so doing, their exeuse 
was. that the Hebrew women were more robust than those 
of -Egypt, and seldom had occasion for their assistance. 

* Exod. i. 10. 



16© SCRIPTURE BIOGRAPHY. 

Pharaoh, however, was not to be diverted from his pur- 
pose, and therefore issued a mandate to his subjects to cast- 
all the male children that should be born to the Hebrews into 
the Nile. 

To what extent this abominable decree was carried we 
are not informed, for the sacred writer just relates the cir- 
cumstance, in order to introduce the most signal instance of 
providential deliverance that is to be fou.;d in history. 

Amram and Jochebed, two pious Israelites, of the tribe 
of Levi, had two children, Miriam and Aaron, before this 
bloody edict was proclaimed, at which period Jochebed 
was in daily expectation of being delivered of another 
child. 

That expectation which usually sweetens pain and suf- 
fering at these seasons, must now have been converted into 
fear and terror, lest the fruit of the womb should prove a 
male, and be consigned, as soon as it saw the light, to a 
watery grave, or to the devouring jaws of a crocodile. 

Josephus informs us that Amram was comforted in a vi- 
sion, with an assurance that the child which his wife then 
bore should not only escape the malice of the tyrant, but 
prove, in fact, the deliverer of the Israelites.^ The story is 
not unlikely, and St. Paul asserts that " Moses, when he 
was born, was hidden by his parents three months through 
faith,"! which seems to imply that they had been favoured 
with some remarkable promise concerning him. 

All the Jewish writers mention the beauty of this child in 
strong terms ; and even Moses himself, though remarkable 
for his candour and modesty ; thus alludes to the circum- 
stance : " And the woman conceived and bare a son ; and 
when she saw that he was a goodly child, she hid him three 
months."^ 

That Jochebed should be anxious to preserve her lovely 
babe from destruction is perfectly natural j but it can hardly 
be supposed that the faith which prompted her to use her. 
endeavours for this affectionate purpose was grounded on a 
mere admiration of bib beauty. The expression, therefore, 
must imply something superior to mere elegance of form, 
even something that indicated his being born for a great and 
mighty work. Faith has its prospects, and nothing but a 
vievv of this nature could have influenced the minds of these 
good people to secret their darling child at the risk of their, 
own lives. 

* Antiq. 1. 2. C. 9. f Heb. xi. 23. * Exod. ii. 2 






MOSES; 161 

At length it becomes impossible to conceal the secret any 
longer, and Jochebed is driven to the sad necessity of ex- 
posing her beloved infant to the most dreadful dangers. 

Still faith loses not its influence upon her mind. Though 
she must comply with the shocking requisition of Pharaoh, 
she will adopt some means whereby her child may escape 
the vengeance of a blood-thirsty persecutor. She knows that 
the God of Israel can save even from the mighty waters, 
and can deliver from the devouring jaws of monsters. With 
great pains and with considerable ingenuity does she contrive 
a little basket of bulrushes, which she daubs, both inside and 
out, with slime and with pitch. Alas ! what a feeble bul- 
wark is this against the numerous dangers to which the child 
must be exposed, and what chance can there be of his find- 
ing some kind hand to deliver him in a country, the inha- 
bitants of which are set by inclination, and by the example 
and orders of their sovereign, against the Hebrew race ? 

But Jochebed acts by faith ; and, therefore, she not only 
does the best she can to preserve her son, bat she stations her 
daughter Miriam near the brink of the river, to watch the 
issue. 

That gracious Being, who put it into the heart of this 
excellent woman to provide an ark for the saving of her 
child, guided the steps of Pharaoh's daughter to the banks 
of the river with her maidens. The princess soon perceived 
the little vessel laying among the flags, and being struck with 
the singularity of its appearance, she caused it to be brought 
to her ; but what were her emotions when, on opening it, 
she discovered an infant of remarkable beauty ? The little 
foundling, as if conscious of his own misery, and aware of 
the rank of the person who beheld him, u wept."* 

Sympathy and compassion stand not long in deliberation g 
this noble-minded lady no sooner viewed the hapless condi- 
tion of the child than she regarded him as thrown by heaven} 
in her way for protection, and at once she formed the reso^ 
lution ot rearing him up as her own son. 

Miriam, who, without seeming to have any particular 
concern in this interesting scene, seized an opportunity of 
mingling with the attendants, and of recommending a He- 
brew woman to nurse the child. Her offer being accepted, 
she instanly ran home with a joyful heart, and brought her 
mother, wio received her child from the princess with this 

* Exod. ii. 6, 



M* 



U2 SCRIPTURE BIOGRAPHY. 

charge, " Take this child away, and nurse it for me, and I 
will give thee thy wages." 

Jochebed has now no occasion to seek for secret places 
where she may lay her babe, to keep him from the prying 
eyes of merciless inquisitors, but she can exhibit him with a 
honest pride, as the adopted son of Pharaoh's daughter, and 
receives a liberal reward for nourishing him, whom she va- 
lues equally at least, with her own life Her fears and tears, 
her anxieties and agonies are all changed into gratitude, and 
joy, and flattering expectation ; so gracious is the Almighty 
unto his faithful servants, and so bountiful is he unto all 
them that diligently seek him ! 

When the child was of a proper age his pious mother, 
who, without doubt, had taken no ordinarv pains to imbue 
his mind with the principles of pure religion, took him ta 
court, where he was affectionately received by his royal pro- 
tectress, who gave him a name commemorative of the man- 
ner by which she first obtained him ; " And she called him 
Moses, because," said she, " I drew him out of the water." 

Under the protection of his illustrious patron Moses en- 
joved the highest distinctions, and obtainrd ail the advan- 
tages of a princely education, which advantages he did not 
fail to improve to the utmost, though he himself passes over 
this part of his life in silence. An apostle, however, asserts, 
that u he was le irned in all the wisdom of the Egyptians,"^ 
and all history allows that this country was then the prin- 
cipal seat of learning arid of science. 

The accomplishments of Moses as a soldier and a scholar, 
while he was regarded as a prince in Egypt, are cele- 
brated by ancient authors of great credit ; but we choose to 
pass over these tilings, and to confine our narrative within 
the limits which the sacred history prescribes. The space of 
time between his being brought to court, and his renuncia- 
tion of princelv dignity, is scarcely noticed, so modest was 
Moves in all things that related to his personal history, as 
scarcelvto mention a circumstance concerning himself, ex- 
cept what had manifestly a necessary connexion with the 
history of his nation. » 

Thus much indeed we know 7 , that at the age of forty he gave 
up all the honour and prospects, to which he was enticed as 
thr adopted heir of Pharaoh's daughter, a choosing- rather," 
as St. Paul expresses it, tw to endure affliction with/ne people 

*Apts vii. 2% / 



MOSES. 103 

of God than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season ; 
esteeming the repioach of C «rist greater riches than the 
treasures of Egypt, having respect unto the recompence of 
reward."* 

Considering that he was trained up from his youth among 
the Eg\ ptian nobles, priests, and magi, it may well strike 
us with admiration that he should prefer the alliance of poor, 
abject, and despised slaves, to all the dazzling splendours of 
a court, and the right of succession to a powerful diadem. 

But worldly distinctions had no charms in the eyes of 
Moses, nor had the gaietv of a palace any allurements for 
him, while his brethren were labouring at the brick-kiln, 
and were groaning under the lash of their inhuman oppressors. 
He considered himself as heir with them of the, promise 
made by the Almighty unto the patriarchs ; and he sighed 
with them for the fields of Canaan, and for the free and un- 
disturbed, exercise of that religion which their fathers had 
receiv. d immediately from God. 

The encomium bestowed by St. Paul upon Moses, that 
" he esteemed the reproach of Christ greater riches than the 
treasures in Egypt, " is too remarkable to be passsed over 
without notice. The Jewish nation have ever attached the 
most magnificent objects to the reign of Messiah, and it 
was this false conception of his true character which led 
them to reject him when he actually appeared, and wrought 
wonders infinitely more glorious than those which were per- 
formed in Egypt for the redemption of Israel. But Mo- 
ses had a right idea of the spiritual kingdom of Christ, and 
preferred an interest therein, though it necessarily involved 
present poverty and reproach, to all the proud and envied 
distinctions of this world. 

He kW had respect unto the recompence of reward," or to 
that salvation which should be the reward of the Messiah's 
sufferings and sacrifice ; and on that account he renounced 
all the honours and pleasures of a court, and cast in his lot 
with " the people of God." though they were then in afflic- 
tion, and were without any prospect of deliverance. 

It was the custom of Moses, every day, to pay a visit of 
compassion to his distressed brethren, to console them in 
their misery, to render them good offices by his influence, 
and to cheer them with tlfe hope that their God would one 
day u visit and redeem his people." 

* Heb, si. 24, 25, 26. 



164 SCRIPTURE BIOGRAPHY 

On one of these occasions his indignation was roused by 
seeing an Egyptian " smitting an Hebrew."* The expres- 
sion implies that the oppressor was in the act of extreme vi- 
olence, and is not unfrequently used to express the act of 
slaying another. The sympathy of Moses was excited in 
behalf of his injured brother, accordingly he attacked the 
Egyptian, who fell in the contest ; and Moses, fearful that a 
discovery of the fact would raise the fury of all Egypt 
against him, " buried the body in the sand." 

The next day he went out as usual, and beheld another 
scene still more affecting than the former. The cruelties of 
the Egyptians to the Israelites were too familiar to excite any 
degree of surprize ; but that the oppressed people should 
fall out among themselves, and evil-intreat one another, 
could hardly be credited. Yet so it was, and Moses had 
the mortification not only to witness a sharp contention be- 
tween two of the Israelites^ but, when he reproved the ag- 
gressor, to receive this insolent reply, " Who made thee a 
prince and a judge over us? Intendest thou to kill me a* 
thou killedst the Egyptian yesterday ?". \ 

Instead of being regarded with gratitude for his intrepi- 
dity and generosity, he was treated as a proud and officious 
meddler, who wanted to assume a kind of sovereignty over 
his brethren. There are no foes more to be dreaded than 
those of a man's own household ; none more vindictive ; 
none more treacherous ; none more irreconcileable. Moses 
saw that his secret was known to his brethren, and he was 
sensible, from the spirit and behaviour of this man, that it 
was not safe even among them. The circumstance would 
not long be concealed from Pharaoh, and he had every thing 
to fear from a haughty and bigotted tyrant, who held the He- 
brews in detestation. He was right in his conjecture ; for 
the king soon became acquainted with what Moses had done, 
and instantly gave orders to put him to death. Moses then 
fled with ail haste into Arabia ,• and, coming near the city of 
Midian, sat down by the side of a well. He had not been 
long at this place before the daughters of Jethro, or Raguel, 
"prince of the country, came to the well with their flocks — * 
While they were busy in watering their fleecy charge, some 
rude shepherds came to the place and drove the damsels 
away, that they might first serve their own flocks. The fa- 
tigued traveller could not see this brutal behaviour unmov* 

* Exed, ii, 11* 



MOSES. 165 

fedi Though but one against many, he resolutely stood up 
against the unmanly rustics, and compelled them to with- 
draw from the troughs, while he helped to water the flocks of 
the fair shepherdesses. Jethro w r as surprized that his daugh- 
ters returned so soon from the well, and on being informed by 
them of the generous interposition of the stranger, he re- 
proved them for their want of incivility in leaving him be- 
hind, and sent instantly a messenger to invite him to his 
house. The hospitable treatment which he met with in Mi- 
dian, and the amiable character of Jethro, so pleased Moses, 
that ** he was content to dwell with the man," or to become 
his servant.*" 

The smallest incidents are instructive ; and this condes- 
cension of Moses to enter into the service of Jethro as a 
shepherd, affords a lesson of importance. 

The pastoral occupation was held in detestation by the 
Egyptians, and those who exercised it were looked upon by 
them with contempt and abhorrence. Moses had been edu- 
cated in the Egyptian manner, and every attempt was made 
to instil into his mind a regard for all the prejudices of the 
people, over whom, it was supposed, he w T ould one day be 
called to reign. 

The magnanimity of his mind we have already had occa- 
sion to admire, in his rejection of princely rank, with all 
its flattering prospects ; but we now see him conquering 
pride, prejudice, and ambition, in stooping to the humble 
office of a shepherd, and contenting himself with a crook 
when he might have wielded a sceptre. 

But Moses was the child of Providence, and all the scenes 
of his life shew the directing hand of God, who pursues a 
course for the accomplishment of his great designs quite dif- 
ferent from that which would be adopted by erring but con- 
ceited man. 

The destined leader of Israel might acquire many useful 
accomplishments in the palace of Pharaoh, but it was expe- 
dient that, in a humble life, he should obtain a conquest 
over his passions, and a practical acquaintance with divine 
truths. He was, therefore led into the peaceful plains of 
Arabia, and to the lowly occupation of a shepherd, that he 
might be thoroughly fitted for that high office to which hea- 
ven had ordained him. 

His connection also with Jethro may justly be considered 

^Esotl. v. 01, 



166 SCRIPTURE BIOGRAPHY. 

as a part of the same divine plan. The example of that 
wise and good m in, who was both a magistrate and a priest, 
could not fail to be peculiarly profitable to Moses, who ren- 
dered himself so agreeable to feis employer by his abilities, 
industry, and piety, as to receive from him his daughter 
Zipporah for a wife' by whom he had two sons, Gershom 
and Eiiezer. 

Wniie Moses dwelt in Midian, it is generally admitted 
that he composed, under the influence of divine inspiration, 
the books of Genesis and Job. The holy spirit of God sel- 
dom meets a man in the hurry of the world, but waits to be 
sought for in the shade of retirement. Would we obtain the 
sweet communications of divine grace, and be enriched 
with that kt wisdom which cometh down from the Father of 
lights," we must leave the giddy and intoxicating scenes of 
folly and dissipation ; every thing, in short, which has a 
tendency to perplex the mind, and to keep it from serious 
and devout meditation. 

All the eminent saints of God have been thus prepared 
for public service ; and there can be no doubt but that 
Moses learnt more of heavenly things in the fields of Midi- 
an than he ever would have done in the palace of Ph traoh. 
Here his mind was stored with divine wisdom, and here he 
enjoyed the visits of that " heavenly muse," by whose di- 
rection he composed those inestimable books, which have 
stamped immortality upon his name. 

In this pleasing situation Moses spent twenty years, dur- 
ing which period the Israelites experienced no cessation from 
their miseries, no relaxation from toil, but were goaded on, 
day after day, by their unfeeling oppressors, to the most de- 
grading and fatiguing employments. At the expiration of 
that time the king of Egypt, from whose face Moses had 
fled into Arabia, died ; but the condition of the afflicted sons 
of Jacob, instead of being ameliorated by a new reign, be- 
came still worse. Pharaoh Amenophis, the successor of this 
tyrant, exceeded him in the cruelty of his disposition, and 
in his hatred of the Israelites. The yoke of oppression up- 
on this afflicted people became intolerable, and u their cries 
and their groans came up unto God, who remembered his 
covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob."* 

It is the great design of afHiction to bring men to a sense 
of their folly and sinfulness in forgetting or disregarding 

* Exod. ii. 27. 



MOSES. lGr 

II im who is the source of all good ; and he is said then to 
remember us when we return to him in repentance and sup- 
plication. 

The Almighty commiserated his people in their misery, 
:thd hearkened unto their prayers. When affliction had ac- 
complished ics object, and the children of Israel were awak- 
ened to call upon the God of their fathers, then did his zeal 
arise in their behalf; and then did he dttermine to bring 
them forth from the land of captivity " with a high hand, 
and with an outstretched arm." 

But where are the instruments to perform this mighty 
work ? By what powerful means will God deliver his 
people from their galling chains, and cause them to triumph 
over their insolent oppressors* ? Shall numerous armies of 
foreign nations pour into the heart ol Egypt, and by leading 
the haughty captive, cause the Israelites to go free? Or 
shall the distressed and persecuted people themselves grow 
impatient under the yoke., and, under the guidance of some 
bold spirit u burst their bands asunder," and regain their 
liberty ? 

Some such, indeed, would be the means adopted by hu- 
man policy to effect this desirable purpose ; But the Almigh- 
ty has taken the matter into his ov\ n hands, and the deliver- 
ance of his people must be accomplished in such a way, as 
shall clearly shew to all generations that the work is his, and 
his alone. 

Doubtless there were many able and virtuous men among 
the elders of Israel at this time ; men well qualified by piety 
and experience to rule over the chosen nation ;. to regulate 
their polity, and to guide them, under the divine direction, 
to the land of promise. But all these are passed by, that 
there may be no pretence of human wisdom, contrivance, or 
power, in the whole affair; and that all may acknowlege 
the finger of God in every part of this wonderful redt mp- 
tion. The Almighty passing over the wise, the experienced, 
and the mighty, fixes upon a humble shepherd in Midian as 
his minister for this great work. Here again appears a strik- 
ing difference between human wisdom and that which is of 
God. Sagacious man would have chosen the opportunity 
of delivering Israel when Moses was in the zenith of court 
favour, or have conducted him for that purpose to the pos- 
session of the Egyptian throne. But infinite intelligence 
contrives the affair in quite another way, and rather chooses 



168 SCRIPTURE BIOGRAPHY. 

to commission Moses when an exile in Arabia then while a 
powerful prince in Egypt. Had the way of man been fol- 
lowed, perhaps neither Moses nor the Israelites would have 
formed a wish to obtain a settlement in Canaan, but might 
have contented themselves with possessing the country to 
which they had been so long accustomed. 

The extremity of their distress makes them sigh for deli- 
verance ; and the grievances they experience in the house of 
bondage bring to their recollection that good land which 
had been promised by the Almighty to the seed of Abraham. 
Thus also, in the depth of sorrow and suffering, amidst the 
trials and temptations of this sinful world, the christian is re- 
minded of his eternal inheritance, and sighs for the Jerusa- 
lem that is above. 

The time being come wherein God had appointed to vi- 
sit his people, he appeared unto Moses, in a flame of fire, 
in a bush, while the shepherd was feeding his flock on Mount 
Horeb. Though the flame seemed to burn with the greatest 
violence, yet neither trunk, branches, nor leaves, sustained 
the slightest injury. A phenomenon so wonderful attracted 
the curiosity of Moses, and he immediately proceeded to the 
place, in order to ascertain the cause " why the bush was not 
burnt." But his eagerness was speedily checked by a voice 
from amidst the firs, calling him by his name, and com- 
manding him u to take his shoes from off his feet, because 
the ground whereon he stood was holy." This sufficiently 
indicated the presence of the divine majesty ; which, in- 
deed, was soon proclaimed, for the awful Being declared 
himself to be the God of Abraham, of Isaac, and of 
Jacob." 

Well might Moses be afraid to look upon the Shechinah 
or the tremendous manifestation of the deity. " God is a 
consuming Are," and " with him there is terrible majesty ;" 
how then can sinful man stand in his presence without fear 
and trembling ? 

But this visitation of the Almighty was not in judgment 
but in pity and loving-kindness to man ; Moses, therefore, 
*" endured as seeing him who is invisible,"^ and was admitted 
to a conference the most familiar and gracious that ever was 
vouchsafed to mortal man. 

The Almighty begins with declaring his compassion for 
the sufferings of Israel, and his determination of delivering 

■" Heb. xi. 2$ 



MOSES, 459 

them from the hand of the Egyptians, and of putting them 
in possession of the good land which he had promised to 
their fathers. He then returns to a relation of their mise- 
ries in Egypt, as if he designed to excite in the mind of 
Moses a sympathetic concern for his afflicted brethren, and 
a wish to do them good. " Come now," says the Lord, 
" and I will send thee unto Pharaoh, that thou mayest bring 
forth my people, the children of Israel, out of Egypt."* 

We have seen the eagerness of Moses to avenge the inju- 
ry done to one of his countrymen ; and have admired his 
conduct in renouncing ail the riches and honours of Egypt 
to associate with a people groaning under the yoke of op- 
pression. Can it be thought that his regard for them is? 
abated, that his courage is extinguished, and that the quiet 
occupation of a shepherd has so far enervated his mind, as 
that he should prefer indolence to activity, and his owrt 
ease to the welfare of his countrymen ? Can we think that 
Moses will refuse to accept a charge which has the Almighty 
for its author, and the deliverance of the afflicted Israelites 
for its object ? Yet so it is ; Moses is afraid to undertake 
the important mission ; and the man who was all zeal ia 
Egypt to rescue his brethren from the hands of their op- 
pressors, is now backward to go to their relief, though Go£> 
himself gives the command, and promises that his mission 
shall be crowned with success. 

Man, when he acts by his own will, and by the impulse o£ 
his own affection, is all fire, and forwardness and zeal ; but 
when he is called of God to engage in his work, he trem- 
bles in the sense of his own weakness and insufficiency.— 
Moses, in a most humiliating strain, excuses himself from 
engaging in this great work : " Who am I," says he, " that 
I should go unto Pharaoh, and that I should bring forth the 
children of Israel out of Egypt ?" 

Nothing becomes a man so much as humility. But diffi- 
dence may degenerate into infidelity ; and too great a dis- 
trust of our own- powers may carry us into a criminal disobe- 
dience of the positive commandments of God. He who 
calls us into the field of action can give us both wisdom 
and strength to perform the work which he has laid upon us. 

When Moses expressed his inability to execute thisr 
mighty charge, he did well ; but when he resisted the ap- 
pointment, after a gracious promise of the divine presence 
and protection, he failed in his duty, and betrayed a spirit. oC 

• F.xod. iii, 10. 
Y 



iro SCRIPTURE BIOGRAPHY. 

unbelief. The Almighty had assured him that he should" 
lead the people from their captivity, and yet he presumed to 
distrust the veracity of the declaration, by urging a variety 
of objections, which he considered as insurmountable obsta- 
cles against its accomplishment. 

These objections were removed in the most condescend- 
ing and convincing manner by the Almighty as fast as they 
were expressed by the petulent and unyielding shepherd ; 
who resisted the force of even promises and miracles, and at 
length, when he had no excuse left, threw away the charge 
at once, saying, " O, my Lord, send, I pray thee, by the 
liand of him whom thou wilt send."* 

Who can wonder that the anger of the Lord was kindled 
against Moses for such perverseness ? 

Had an earthly monarch been so rudely treated by one of 
his subjects, when he chose to honour by sending him as his 
representative to a foreign court, would he not have been 
justified in spurning the man from his presence, and in con- 
ferring the high distinction upon some other person ? Jb*ut 
though the divine displeasure was manifested against Moses, 
it did not name into a judgment^ but was so expressed as t© 
rnelt his soul into submission. He resisted love and solici- 
tation, reasoning, and even extraordinary gifts, for a long 
time ; but when once the terrors of the Lord were displayed, 
he instantly became obedient to the divine will, and ready to 
go where the Lord directed him. 

His submission averted the divine anger, and he received 
instructions for his conduct, with an assurance that Aaron, 
his brother, was on the way to meet him, being called to 
assist him in this great work as his " spokesman unto the 
people." 

This remarkable conference being ended, Moses led his 
flock to Midian, and solicited Jethro's permission to visit 
his brethren in Egypt. The good old man readily gave his 
consent, and Moses set out with alacrity upon the journey, 
being encouraged by a declaration from the Almighty, that 
all those who had sought his life were dead. 

On the way a circumstance occurred, which, from the 

* Exod. iv. 13. It is at least probable that Moses alluded here to the 
Sending" of the Shiloh, or Messiah, the promised Saviour of Israel ; 
and he might think that as he himself was descended from Levi, he had. 
no pretensions to so great a work, which belonged to one of the tribe of 
Judah. But if such were his notions, his conduct was still unjustifiable 
iii resisting* an express call from Goc, 



MOSES. in 

brevity of the historian, is very obscure. Thus much, 
however, appears clear, that some divine judgment ieii upon 
Moses which threatened his life, lor having neglected the 
riie of circumcision in his family. As he was now appoint- 
ed the leader of Israel, this omission was the more inex- 
cusable, since it tended to set an evil example to that people. 
Zipporah, on being made acquainted with th.e reason of this 
visitation of God, performed the rite herself upon her son, 
and then iiT bitter terms upbraided Moses as u a bloody hus- 
band," either on account of the severity of the ceremony, or 
in detestation of the rite itself. 

But whatever might be her meaning in this expression, 
the act she performed saved the life of her husband ; and 
nothing more occurred till he and Aaron met " in the mount 
of God." This interview, after so long a separation, was 
tender and affecting ; and it was of great importance to 
Moses to have so able an assistant as Aaron, who not only 
possessed the powers of eloquence, but as a priest, had con- 
siderable influence upon the Israelites, and was well ac- 
quainted with their particular state and character. 

These messengers of Jehovah were not long in unfolding, 
their commission to the children of Israel, and in confirming 
it by those miraculous acts, which they were empowered to 
perform for the conviction of those to whom they were sent. 
The afflicted people were overjoyed at the information that 
the Almighty had remembered them in their low condition, 
and was about to emancipate them from slayery, and to 
bring them into the land promised to their fathers. 

Thus the first fear of Moses that they would disbelieve 
his word was removed ; but there are greater obstacles re- 
maining. That the Israelites should receive the tidings of 
deliverance was natural enough ; but will Pharaoh lend a 
willing ear to the commandment of Jehovah ? Will he rea- 
dily let such a numerous and serviceable body of men go free, 
at the request of two obscure old men, who come in the 
name of a deity whom he does not adore ? 

The Lord had prepared Moses for the reception he should 
meet with from the tyrant of Egypt, by telling him at the 
mount that he would not hearken to his word. But the 
message must be delivered, though the bearers are assured 
that it will not be obeyed. 

Moses at Mount Horeb was exceedingly reluctant to ac- 
cept this high charge, ai}d was even guilty of an, obstinate 



172 SCRIPTURE BIOGRAPHY. 

resistance to the divine will ; but now that he is entered 
upon the work, we find him prompt and vigorous in its exe- 
cution. Leaving the Israelites he and his brother boldly 
enter into the presence of Pharaoh, and address him in this 
dignified strain ; u Thus saith the Lord God of Israel, let 
my people go, that they may hold a feast unto me in the 
wilderness."^ 

No country upon earth ever abounded with so much su- 
perstition as Egypt. It was so prolific of deities that every 
element was worshipped, and the most contemptible of rep- 
tiles received divine honours. But though Pharaoh might 
be religious enough in his way, he received this intelligence 
of a new deity with surprize and contempt. That the poor 
out-cast slaves, who existed by his will, and laboured for his 
pleasure, should have a God of such authority as to pre- 
scribe laws for him, was not to be endured. He conceived 
that this deity must be powerless and insignificant, because 
his votaries were in the most abject condition. "Who is 
the Lords" saith he, u that I should obey his voice to let 
Israel go ? I know not the Lord, neither will I let Israel 

s° ? " 

Moses and Aaron, notwithstanding this peremptory refus- 
al, still urged their request, and pleaded the cause of their 
brethren with great earnestness. Their zeal, however, only 
served to irritate the resentment of the tyrant ; and after 
venting severe reproaches upon them as movers of sedition, 
he gave orders to the task-masters to withhold from the Is- 
raelites their accustomed allowance of straw for the mak- 
ing of bricks, and yet to exact from them daily the same 
number as before. 

Thus the mission of Moses and Aaron, which had just ex- 
hilarated the minds of the people, and had filled them with 
eager expectations of deliverance, now proved the occasion 
of new miseries and persecutions. Bad as their condition 
was before these men came among them with their promises 
and their wonderful signs, it was not to be compared to the 
intolerable hardships which the vindictive tyrant, in conse- 
quence of this mission, has laid upon them. 

Moses was not prepared for this misfortune, though he 
had been told by God himself that the tyrant would not, till 
driven to the utmost extremity, consent to the departure 
of the Israelites. It was very mortifying to the good man 

* Exod. r. i. 



MOSE3. 173 

to perceive that his efforts to serve his brethren had only- 
contributed to plunge them into deeper affliction. He could 
not reply to the keen reproaches which the officers of the 
people cast upon him, but went and poured out his com- 
plaint to the Almighty in these pathetic terms : kk Lord, 
wherefore hast thou so evil intreated this, people ? Why is 
it that thou hast sent me ? For since 1 came to Pharaoh to 
speak in thy name he hath done evil to this people j neither 
hast thou delivered thy people at all." 

What a poor erring creature is man ? If success does not 
-crown his endeavours at the time, and in the way he expect- 
ed, he complains as if he were unjustly treated. The most 
eminent servants of God have betrayed, by their desponden- 
cy, this impatient spirit, and their failings are candidly re- 
corded even by themselves, to teach us cheerful submission 
to the divine will, even when things are going strongly 
against us ; and a vigorous perseverance in the way of righte- 
ousness, though we are continually experiencing mortifica- 
tions. 

Moses was ready to abandon the work as soon as he had 
entered upon it, though he was assured by the Almighty that 
Pharaoh should be forced at last to let the people depart 
from his dominions. He was ordered to go first, and to 
comfort his brethren with this gracious promise ; but their 
spirits v/?re broken with extremity of labour, and they 
hearkened not unto him. Their dejection added to the des- 
pondency of Moses, and, therefore, when the Lord com- 
manded him to deliver a second message to Pharaoh, com- 
manding him, in his name, to let the people go ; he endeav- 
oured to excuse himself, by urging his want of eloquence. 

The Almighty, in reply to his querulous servant, directs 
him to take with him his brother Aaron as his " prophet," 
while he himself is so highly honoured, as to stand the re- 
presentative of God to Pharaoh. Such authority and pow- 
ers were never bestowed upon any man as were now con- 
ferred upon Moses. He is to appear before the king of 
Egypt, vested with attributes above all created dignity and 
excellence, having the elements of nature at his command, 
and even life and death at his disposal. The proud and 
impious monarch regards the two old men with contempt, 
and, as they profess to be the messengers of the supreme 
God, he demands of them a miracle, as a proof of their 
mission. His proposition is accepted. The rod in the hand 



m SCRIPTURE BIOGRAPHY. 

of Aaron is cast on the ground, at the command of Moses* 
and instantly becomes a frightful serpent. Moses, when he 
beheld the same wonderful transformation in Horeb, fled 
from the venomous monster ; but Pharaoh views it without 
alarm, and affecting to regard it as a mere juggle, sends for 
his magicians, who perform a similar act with their rods. It 
may be deemed surprizing that Jehovah should so far give 
countenance to a false religion, as to permit these deceivers 
to imitate the miracle of his servants. But this was a con- 
test between the votaries of the true God and the worshippers 
of demons. The necromancers are therefore suffered to sue* 
ceed in some instances, to encourage them to persevere in 
their opposition, that the victory of Jehovah may be the 
more triumphant, and their defeat and disgrace the more 
mortifying. Thus idolatry and impiety are suffered to pre- 
vail for a time, that the power of God may be evident in 
their destruction, and that his religion may shine with a 
greater splendour, when contrasted with their impotence and 
blackness. 

The sorcerers of Egypt boldly cast down their rods at the 
command of Pharaoh, and they also became serpents ; but 
that the power of Jehovah might be seen, the rod of Aaron 
swallowed up the rest, which evidently implied, that the far- 
ther prosecution of this contest should terminate in the con- 
fusion of the powers of darkness. " But Pharaoh's heart," 
however, " was hardened,*' as the Lord had said ; neverthe- 
less Moses was commanded to present himself again before 
him in the morning, as he went to pay his early devotions to 
the principal deity of Egypt, the river Nile. The tyrant as 
might well be supposed, resisted the application made to him, 
when, by the direction of Moses, Aaron stretched out his 
rod, and immediately the favourite river, the adored object 
of the superstitious Egyptians, and all the water in the land, 
became blood, and of so offensive a quality, that all the fish 
therein died. So awful a phenomenon, instead of subduing 
the pride of the monarch, only increased it ; for the magi- 
cians, by their art, succeeded in imitating this miracle also, 
thus contributed to their own misery and defeat. To perform 
good was out of their power, but to multiply evil was al- 
lowed them for a while, that they and their admirers might 
be covered with shame. 

Seven days did this dreadful plague prevail in Egypt ; 
&nd though the condition of his subjects was very grievous 






MOSES. 173 

for want of water during that time, yet Pharaoh continued 
obdurate, when Moses repeated his request, accompanied 
with the threat ot another visitation in case of his refusal. 
The same river was now made to pour forth immense 
swarms of frogs, which entered into all the dwellings of 
the Egyptians, and even into the private rooms of the pa- 
lace. The most contemptible creatures become mighty in- 
struments in the hands of the Lord for the punishment of 
the • icked. This judgment, though partly imitated by ihe 
sorcerers, proved so intolerable to Pharaoh, that he gave his 
consent to the requisition of Moses, and promised, if he 
should be delivered from the frogs, to let the people go. 
But no sooner was the plague removed than the treacherous 
tyrant violated his word; on which the messengers of the 
Lord, without warning him as heretofore, " smote the dust 
of the earth, and it became lice throughout all the land of 
Epypt, upon man and upon beast."* 

Though the magicians themselves were not free from this 
loathsome visitation, yet they were so bent upon their fool- 
ish opposition of the divine power, as to endeavour to imitate 
what they should have tried to remove. But all their at- 
tempts were vain to produce objects that were a plague in- 
stead of a blessing, and then they had the honesty to ac- 
knowlege that u this was the finger of God." Their im- 
potence being confessed, who would expect that Pharaoh's 
infidelity should remain ; but his heart was hardened, and 
the repeated proofs which he experienced of the power of 
God only made him indifferent to warnings and miracles. 
He still offers his devotions to that river wbjich the Almighty 
has twice made use of as a scourge to chastise him for his 
impiety ; and on the banks thereof he is again accosted by 
Moses, who repeats his demand, accompanied with the 
threatening of a swarm of flies, or rather of immense mul- 
titudes of pestilent insects of various kinds. This judgment 
proved so troublesome that Pharaoh was again constrained 
to yield his consent that the people should go into the wil- 
derness to sacrifice unto the Lord ; but no sooner were the 
Hies withdrawn than his obduracy returned, and his plighted 
word was once more broken. Still Moses follows him with 
entreaties and remonstrances before he brings down new 
plagues ; but entreaties, remonstrances, and threatenings 
are all in vain. A dreadful disorder seizes the cattle o€ 

* Exod. viai. 17 '■ 



m SCRIPTURE BIOGRAPHY. 

the Egyptians, while those belonging to the Israelites ars 
not affected. Next a grievous disease, consisting of " boils 
with blains," attacked both man and beast, so that the ma- 
gicians could not stand before Moses because of the boil ."* 
But even these judgments, fearful as they were, could not 
bring down the pride of this obstinate monarch ; and Mo- 
ses, with wonderful perseverance and intrepidity, continued 
still to visit him with his demand. He next denounced the 
vengeance of the Almighty upon him in this solemn in- 
guage ,* " Thus saith the Lord God of the Hebrews : Let 
mv people go that they may serve me. ' For I will at this 
time send all my plagues upon thine heart, and upon thy ser- 
vants, and upon thy people, that thou mayest know there is 
none like me in all the earth." 

Not a single prediction uttered by this extraordinary man 
had been found to fail, how then could Pharaoh hope to 
gain the victory in so unequal a contest ? But when man is 
determined upon disobedience, predictions and judgments 
will only serve to harden him in his rebellion, and hurry 
hi n on to his utter destruction. A dreadful storm of hail, 
mixed with fire, " smote throughout all the land of Egypt," 
so that the fruits of the earth were wholly destroyed, and 
numbers of beasts and men were slain. Pharaoh's fears 
were alarmed by this awful visitation, which threatened to 
desolate all the country, except the province inhabited by 
the Israelites, and he made iiis submission again to Moses. 
The man of God knew well the deceitfulness of the ty- 
rant's heart ; but. that the glory of Jehovah might be com- 
pletely manifested, he went out from the presence of Pha- 
raoh, and bv spreading out his hands to the Lord the storm 
ceased With the judgment departed the repentance of the 
kings and he u sinned yet more, he and his servants." 

The messengers of Jehovah appear again in the presence 
of Pharaoh, and threaten him with such a tremendous 
swarm of locusts as shall cover the face of the earth, and de- 
vour all the residue of that which escaped from the hail, and 
even' tree of the field. 

No visitation is more alarming in these countries than that 
of Locusts, because nothing is secure from their depreda- 
tions, nor can any means be adopted to expel them. 

Pliny's account of them is very curious : " This plague," 
says he, M is attributed to the anger of the gods ; for they 

* Exod. ix. r. 

ft 



MOSES. lr> 

are sometimes very great, and make such a noise with their 
wings, that you would suppose them to be a larger kind o£ 
flying creatures. Tiiey also darken the sun, while the peo- 
ple from below behold them with a painful solicitude, lest 
they should light upon their fields. Their strength is very 
great, and, as if it was a small matter to fly over tne seas, 
they run through immense track* of land, and in the harvest 
overspread the earth with a dreadful cloud, burning up al- 
most every herb by their touch, and biting and eatingthrough 
every thing, even the doors of the houses."* 

Well, therefore, might the officers of Pharaoh tremble at 
the denunciation or so horrible an invasion, and reproach him 
sharply as being insensible to the calamities of his country, 
a How long," say they, " shall this man be a snare unto us ? 
Let the men go, that they may serve the Lord their God.— . 
Knowest thou not yet that E^ypt is destroyed r"f 

Pharaoh felt a momentary fear on receiving this cutting 
remonstrance, and therefore sent for Moses and Aaron in 
all haste, and gave permission that the men might go and 
serve the Lord, but that they should leave their families be- 
hind them as hostages. On quitting his presence, Moses 
.stretched forth his wonderful rod, and behold a great east 
wind brought up the fierce ministers of the divine venge- 
ance, u which darkened all the land, and devoured all the 
herbs of the field." When Pharaoh saw that the word of 
Moses was realized to the greatest extent, he again u con- 
fessed his sin, and entreated his forgiveness and mediation 
with the Lord" for the removal of the evil. The locusts 
were accordingly driven away, but the impiety of Pharaoh 
returned ; aud Moses, without giving him warning as he 
had been accustomed to do, " stretched forth his hand to- 
wards heaven, and a thick darkness covered all the land of 
Egypt three days, but the children of Israel had light in 
their dwellings.":): 

This " darkness," says the sacred historian, " was such 
as might be felt ;" and the author of the book of Wisdom 
describes it as a kind of temporary hell, in which there ap- 
peared to the wicked, whose consciences suggested to them 
every thing that was horrible, " a fire kindled of itself very 
dreadful ; they were scared with beasts that passed by, and 
hissing of serpents ; and they were vexed with mons- 
trous apparitions, so that they fainted and died for fear $ 

* Plin, Nat. Hist. lib. xi. cap. 29. J Exod. X. 7. } lb. 3. £3, 

2 



J-ra SCRIPTURE BIOGRAPHY. 

while over them was spread an heavy night, an image of thasf 
darkness which should aftetvt ards receive them."* 

Whether supernatural appearances rendered this gloomy 
state thus dread fal. or whether the consciences of the wicked 
were only haunted by imaginary horrors, we cannot deter* 
snine ; hat this is certain, that the mind ot Pharaoh was 
greatly agitated, and he sent once more for Moses to deliver 
him from this plague. His submission, however, was re- 
luctant, and he could not bring himself to obey fully the 
commandment of the Lord-. All the people may now go v 
but their property must be left behind. Pharaoh will not 
consent to their entire emancipation, and Moses will not, on 
the other hand, agree to leave " an hoot behind," for u we 
know not," saith he," with what we must serve the Lord 
until we come thither."f We have seen Moses unwilling to 
undertake this arduous work ; we have attended with con- 
cern to his evasive excuses, and to his repeated complaints ;. 
but from the time of his first standing in competition with 
the magicians, we admire his perseverance, his intrepidity, 
coolness, and dignified deportment. He now stands up in 
a determined tone against the mercenary demand of Phara- 
oh, and insists upon the departure of the people with the 
whole of their property. 

This provokes the anger of Pharaoh into fury, and he 
drives Moses from his presence with a menace, that if he 
again presumes to appear before him his life shall be the 
price of his temerity. tfc Thou hast spoken well," says Mo- 
ses, as he departs from the infatuated tyrant, u 1 will seer 
thy face again no more." 

Pharaoh's cup is now full ; he banishes the minister of 
God from his presence, and thus rashly sets at once the sea! 
upon the long- postponed warrant of his own destruction. 

It is judiciously ohserved by an excellent writer, that 
" these miracles were intended to evince the superiority o§ 
Jehovah over the'power and elements of Nature, which, at' 
that time, were objects of worship amongst the Egyptians, 
but plainly appeared to act at the command of Moses, in 
subordination to their great Creator, the God of the He« 
brews. In the heavens, on the earth, and in the waters, su- 
premacy and independency were demonstrated to belong t& 
him onlv : fire and air, thunder and lightning, wind, rain, 
and hail obeyed his word ; rivers became blood, and their 
iniiabitants perished ; insects and animals left their wonte^ 

* Wisd. xviii f Esod. x, 2.3* 



moses. ar?5 

Stations to destroy vegetables or torment man : so that 
wherever the gods of Eg\ j>t wert supposed to reside, and to 
exert their influences in favour of their votaries, m all places 
and all circumstances victory declared for Jehovah Hence 
modern as well as ancient idolaters may learn, not to put 
their trust in ihe world, but in him who made, and who can 
and will destroy it ; whose power can render the most insig- 
nificant of his creatures instruments of his vengeance ; and, 
in a moment, arm all the elements against sinners ; and, 
whose mercy will employ that power in the final salvation of 
his church ; when, as the author ot the book of Wisdom 
expresseth it, u he shall make the creature his weapon for 
the revenge of his enemies, and the world shall fight for him 
against the universe." Wisd. v. 17. 20* 

These signs and wonders having failed to humble the haugh- 
ty mind ot Pharaoh into obedience, the Almighty proceeds 
to make a more terrible display of his power ; and, therefore, 
laying aside for a time his faithful servants, he says to Mo- 
ses/' About midnight will 1 go out into the midst of Egvpt."f 

rJut before this great judgment takes place the Israelites 
must prepare for their speedy departure, and means must be 
adopted to secure them from the approaching vengeance. 

In the first place they are directed to obtain from the 
Egyptians t4 Jewels of silver, jewels of gold, and raiment,"] 
which are readily granted them from the dread of the God 
of Israel, which has filled the minds of those people. Some 
impertinent sceptics from this transaction have taken occa- 
sion to charge Moses and the Israelites with being guilty of 
a deliberate fraud, but if these writers had possessed more 
knowdege than malice, they would have found that the word 
rendered w borrow" in our translation signifies " to ask, so- 
licit, and even to demand j" and when the passage is so 
read, we learn from it no more than this, that the Israelites, 
w o had been most cruelly used and enslaved by the Egyp- 
tians, now settled accounts with them for wages, and obtain- 
ed these things as a small retribution for the injuries they 
had received. When a man lends an article, he naturally ex- 
pi cs to have it again ; but when he gives it, nothing would 
ore unreasonable than to look for its return. 

1 p eserve the habitations of his people from the impend- 
jngjud men , winch was to close the plagues of Egypt, jeho- 

1 shop's Home's Commentary on the Psalms, 8vo. vol. Yu p. 36. 
fExod. s*4. ±Ih. 2, 



1*0 SCRIPTURE BIOGRAPHY* 

Van commanded them to take for every family a male lamb 
without blemish, of a year old, and having slain it, to sprinkle 
the side- posts and upper door-post of each house, with the 
blood thereof. The flesh of this paschal lamb was to be 
eaten with bitter herbs, in remembrance of their oppression 
in the house of bondage, and in haste, as men passing from 
Captivity to liberty. This solemn rite was ordained to be a 
standing sacrament in the Jewish church, as a memorial of 
the deliverance of Israel from Egyptian oppression ; and 
likewise to shadow out that greater deliverance from spiritual 
thraldom which Christ, the true paschal lamb, should, in the 
fulness of time, accomplish for his church. 

While he Israelites were engaged in feasting upon this 
sacrifice, and stood ready prepared for a sudden march, at 
the silent and awful hour of midnight, the avenging angel of 
the Lord passed through the land, and smote all the first-born 
of Egypt. Instantly all was horror and confusion. The 
groans of the dying, and the shrieks of their surviving 
friends, were heard on all sides ; no person could run to the 
assistance of his neighbour, for all had to lament the same 
calamity ; " there was not a house where there was not one 
dead." 

So sudden and fearful a stroke struck Pharaoh and his 
people with the apprehension that the destruction would be 
general ; and looking upon the Hebrews as the occasion of 
their misery, they urged and even forced them to depart) 
ftt for," say they, u we be all dead men." 
Anno mundi 2513. 

Thus with M a high hand, and with an outstretched arm," 
does Jehovah lead his people out of Egypt ; and the family 
which came thither, U) the number of only seventy souls, is 
now multiplied to six hundred thousand, besides children. 
With this numerous body went " a mixed multitude of other 
nations," who, seeing the wonders of the Lord, chose to 
accompany a people so highly favoured by heaven. 

Instead of taking the nearest way to Canaan, Moses leads 
his mighty charge along the skirts of the great wilderness, 
•which bounds Egypt and Arabia Petrsea, to a place called 
Pihahiroth, oh the edge of the Red Sea. A worse situation, 
to all human appearance, could not have been chosen than 
this ; for on each hand were impassable mountains ; in the 
rear the people were exposed to the attacks of an enemy, 
without having any means of defence ; and in their front lay 
&n expanse of water, which it seemed impossible for them 



MOSES. l&l 

to cross. But the whole was of divine direction, for Jeho- 
vah, who led the way in " a pillar of cloud by day, and in 
a pillar of fire by night," knew that when the terrors of 
Pharaoh were subsided, he would repent the sacrifice he had 
made to his fears and hasten alter the fugitives. And so it 
happened, for when the tyrant learnt the course which the 
Israelites had taken, and the place where they lay encamp- 
ed, he considered them as a prey fallen into a snare, and im- 
mediately mustered his forces to pursue them. When the 
people descried their oppressors, their spirits gave way, and, 
forgetting the miracles which they had witnessed, and even 
unmindful of the divine presence amongst them, they began 
to upbraid Moses in the most ungrateful and cowardly man- 
ner : " Because there were no graves in Egypt," say they, 
" h .st thou taken us away to die in the wilderness I Where- 
fore hast thou dealt thus with us, to carry us forth out of 
Egypt ? Is not this tne word that we did tell thee in Eg) pt, 
saving, let us alone, that we may serve the Egj ptians ? For 
it had been better for us to serve the Egyptians than that we 
should die in the wilderness ?"* 

The situation of Moses at this moment was extremely 
critical. He was surrounded by the most formidable dan- 
gers, and of these the desponding and seditious spirit of the 
people under him was perhaps the greatest. Their conduct, 
at this early stage, shewed plainly enough how refractory 
thev were likely to prove, even when they should be freed 
from their present difficulty ; and what trouble he would 
have in conducting them through the wilderness, although 
Jehovah himself was their guide and defence. But collected 
in himself, and animated by the strongest faith, Moses stood 
unmoved amidst the dangers which beset him, and ad- 
dressed the complaining multitude in these noble and encou- 
raging terms : " Fear ye not ; stand still and see the salva- 
tion of the Lord, which he will shew you to-day, for the 
Egyptians whom ye have seen to day, ye shall see again no 
more for ever. The Lord shall fight for you, and ye shall 
hold your peace." 

The mildness and intrepidity of the man of God, in this 
instance, stand unparalleled in history ; and his animating 
declaration to the people infinitely exceeds the boasted elo- 
quence of Demosthenes, in rousing the Athenians against 
the oppressors of Philip of Macedon. 

But though Moses was full) assured that the arm of Je- 

♦Exod. xiv. 11, 12, 



?«$ SCRIPTURE BIOGRAPHY. 

hovah would be exerted on this occasion in behalf of the 
chosen seed, yet he did not know the exact manner in 
which their, deliverance would be accomplished. He had 
recourse, therefore, to prayer ; and while his faith was 
strong, his solicitations were urgent. We know that the 
promises of the Lord are, like himself, immutable; but 
this docs not discharge us from the duty of praying for their 
fulfillment* 

While Moses was fervent in his supplications he received 
this answer: iw Way criest thou unto me ? Speak unto the 
children of Israel that they go forward." He had just be- 
ibre told them to u stand still j w but Jehovah gives the 
command " go forward ;" and at the same instant the mi- 
raculous, awful column removes from the front to the rear 
of the camp, as a barrier between the Israelites and the 
Egyptians. Moses readily obeys the divine injunction, 
and the people as readily follow him ; but they soon reach 
the sea-shore, when, lifting up his rod, a violent east wind 
arises, and cleaves down the waters in the midst, so that 
a spacious channel is m <de, through which they all pass 
dry-shod. The tremendous waves are heaped up in moun- 
tains on each side, and not a particle of water can quit 
its place, while the power of Jehovah restrains it till his 
people are all safely landed on the opposite shore. How 
beautiful is the description of this miraculous event gives. 
by the Psalmist ; " The waters saw thee O God, the wa- 
t rs saw (hee ; they were afraid ; the depths also were trou- 
bled v * 

Pnaraoh, driven on by rage and ambition, enters the 
dreadful chasm, and regardless of the roaring of the moun- 
tainous 'billows, supernaturally piled up on each hand, the 
terrible, pillar before him, and of the thunderings and light- 
nings from above, he continues his pursuit. No sooner are 
the Israelites safelv landed than the presence of God frowns 
terribly upon the Egyptian host, they are thrown into dis- 
order ."their hearts misgive them, and they attempt tore- 
treat — but in vain, for the rod of Moses* is again stretched 
out, the Watery mountains rush together with a horrible 
c >sh, and w-kelm the impious Pharaoh, his chariots and his 
horsemen in the mighty deep 

When the Israelites saw the potent army, which they had 
so much dreaded, thus instantly and totally destroyed, they 
trembled, wondered, and u believed in the Lord." They 

• Psal Ixxvii; 1&. 



MOSES. 

became conscious of their ingratitude to God, and v\ 
sensible ot their injustice to-' his servant Moses. T it < i- 
nent saint, as he stood and contemplated the terrible pr- er 
and amazing goodness ot" Jehovah, broke out into a rap- 
turous song of thanksgiving. 

Devotional gratitude and religious exultation open the 
piece. Jehovah then appears as u mighty warrior prepared 
for battle. " The Lord is a man of war ; the Lord is his 
name." His enemies are instantly introduced ; but no 
sooner do they appear than the ami of Omnipotence dashes- 
them into the depths of the sea, as a stone that is cast by 
the hand of a giant. The po^t then praises, in the most 
elevated terms, the power of Jehovah, and celebrates bis 
goodness and his vengeance at the same time He repre- 
sents the breath of the Lord' as rearing up the waters in 
mountainous heaps, and as drying up the depths of the sea, 
that his redeemed may pass safely over. Here Pharaoh and 
his host are again happdy introduced as following with rage 
and triumph after the Israelites The impetuosity, rage, and 
arrogance of the tyrant are most striki ngly represented in 
the confused and rapid expressions which he is made to ut- 
ter as he pursues his mad career : " I will pursue, I will 
overtake, I will divide the spoil - T my lust shall be satisfied 
upon them ; I will draw my sword, my hand shall destroy 
them." It is impossible for human language to express* 
or genius to paint, a haughty, vengeful, confident enemy, 
in a more forcible manner than this. The elegance of the 
picture is indeed inimitable, but it is carried to the height o£ 
sublimity when Jehovah is introduced ; " Thou didst blow 
with thy wind, the sea covered them - T they sank as lead hi 
the mighty waters." The devout ascription of praise is then 
repeated ; and the mercy of the Lord to his redeemed is 
again gratefullv expressed. This animates the poet with the 
spirit of prophecy, and he predicts, in terms plain and en- 
ergetic, the fate of the C tnaanites and the establishment of 
Israel : " Fear and dread shall fall upon them j by the 
greatness of thine arm they shall be still as a stone : till 
thy people pass over, O Lord, till the people pass over 
which thou hast purchased. Thou shalt bring thi*m in, 
and plant them in the # mount of thine inheritance, in the 
place, O Lord, which thou hast made for thee to dwell in ; 
in the sanctuary, O Lord, which thy hands have established* 
The Lord shall rei^n for ever and ever."* The noble ode 

i B^cd sv. X-% 



184 SCRIPTURE BIOGRAPHY. 

then closes with a repetition of the miraculous destruction 
©f Pharaoh, and the deliverance of Israel. This recurrence 
is not tautology but propriety and elegance ; for it is the 
expression of the heart, full of a mighty bhssingjost expe- 
rienced : it gives life to the hymn, and tends to keep a sense 
of the miracle always alive in the minds of those for whose 
use it is composed. 

To particularize ail the beauties of this celebrated piece 
would far exceed the limits of this mirror ; but we lYiay 
safely assert that the reader who peruses it without the most 
lively emotions of admiration, is as destitute of taste as he 
must be of devotion. Had Longinus read this production 
he would have dwelt upon its elegance with rapture, as a 
finished specimen of true sublimity ; and his commendation 
of it would have far exceeded the just encomium which he 
has so candidly bestowed upon Moseses description of the 
creation, 

But is this piece merely to be admired on account of its 
beauties as a composition, and as being most exacly descrip- 
tive of a stupendous miracle of mercy and judgment ? By 
no means. If the Israelite could sing it with personal exul- 
tation and gratitude, so can the Christian, if for Pharaoh and 
the Egyptians he substitutes the great adversary of mankind 
with his numerous legions, driven down to the nethermost 
abvss, at the moment when they were anticipating to them- 
selves a complete triumph in the crucifixion of Jesus. He 
who conducted the children of Israel from Egypt through 
the Red Sea, and made bare his arm in the destruction of his 
enemies, hath opened a way through death for his redeemed 
to pass over into a land of eternal rest. He guides them in 
the wilderness " by his strength unto his holy habitation," 
They are supported u in the valley of the shadow of death 
by the rod,"f of his consolation and power ; and when they 
are safely landed on the celestial shore, they shall see their 
spiritual enemies whelmed in the bottomless deep, to rise 
again no more for ever. Then shall the ransomed of the 
Lord strike aloud their golden harps, and joyfully unite in 
" singing the song of Moses, the servant of Gox>, and the 
song of the Lamb, saving, Great and marvellous are thy 
works, Lord G-»d Almighty, just and true are thy ways, 
thou king of saints.":): 

The Israelites, after performing solemn services of reli- 
gion on the shore of the Red Sea^ leave that highly favoured 

* Psal xxiii. 4, f Key. xy. ^ 



MOSES. IBS 

spot, and advance three days march into the wilderness. But 
their gratitude lasts not long. One inconvenience and dif- 
ficulty occasions a general spirit of murmuring among them. 
The want of water is their first distress ; and when they 
meet with some at Marah, it proves so bitter that they can- 
not drink it. They then murmur against Moses, and this is 
the case in every exigence that befalls them. If danger ap- 
pears, or any want is experienced, the ungrateful people 
immediately upbraid their leader as the cause, and, un- 
mindful of the miracles wrought on their behalf, complain 
of their deliverance as an evil, instead of being thankful for 
it as a blessing. The unwholesome waters are healed by 
Moses, but a miracle with this refractory multitude is re- 
membered no longer than while they are enjoying the be- 
nefits of it. When their provisions are consumed, instead of 
recollecting what God has done for them, their base des- 
pondency returns, and they attack Moses and Aaron again 
with their ungenerous accusations. " Would to God, ?> 
say they, " we had died by the hand of the Lord in 
the land of Egypt, when, we sat by the flesh-pots, and 
when we did eat bread to the full ; for ye have brought us 
forth into this wilderness to kill this whole assembly 
with hunger."* 

The possession of liberty, and the presence of God, were 
of less value in their estimation, than the u flesh-pots of 
Egypt," though when they were groaning under the lash 
of their oppressors they could sigh and pray for deliver- 
ance. Sensual minds are attentive only to the present grati- 
fication of their appetites, and as they have no gratitude for 
mercies past, so they have no resignation under disappoint- 
ment, nor any confidence in the goodness of God for bles- 
sings to come. In the conduct of Israel of old we may see 
our own temper and behaviour. Were they unmindful of 
the continued and stupendous miracles performed for their 
deliverance and their support ? How have we remembered 
the innumerable benefits which we have lectived ever since 
we were born ? Do we bear in our minds as we ought to do 
the wonderful redemption which Christ hath wrought out 
for us by his death and passion ? Do we receive with grate- 
ful hearts the refreshing streams of eternal life contained 
in the blessed gospel and in his holy ordinances ? On 
the contrary, have we not forgotten the blessings of 
Providence and of grace in the season of pleasure and 

* Exod. xvi. 3. 
2 A 



10 SCRIPTURE BIOGRAPHY. 

prosperity ? And when we have experienced want an& 
adversity, instead of bringing our sin to remembrance, 
have not our hearts been impatient and rebellious ? Let us r 
then, when we condemn the ungrateful and unrighteous 
conduct of Israel, examine our own characters, and taking, 
shame to ourselves, humble our hearts before the throne of 
grace. 

How patient is Moses under this severe and ungenerous 
accusation of the people ; and how forbearing and gracious 
is the Almighty towards them ! Instead of complaining 
against them, Moses supplicates the divine favour on their 
behalf, and the Lord rains upon them bread from heaven in 
the morning, and sends them abundance of quails in the 
evening * 

This miraculous bread continued to descend every even- 
ing, that of the sabbath excepted, until the Israelites ob- 
tained possession of part of the promised land, and then it 
ceased. It was a small round thing, as small as the hoar* 
frost upon the ground at first, but afterwards it was white, 
about the size of a coriander seed, and the taste was like 
that of honev. This they called Man hue , which means, 
What is this f Of this they gathered the six following 
das, but were prohibited to leave any till the next 
morning ; for if they did, it stank and bred worms, to 
express to them their constant dependence upon God for 
their " daily bread/' On the eve of the sabbath they were 
to gather a double portion, because none descended on that 
day, which was ordained to be kept strictly holy throughout 
th e camp. To perpetuate the remembrance of this miracle 
the L ord commanded Moses to " take a pot, and to put an 
omer fall of manna therein, and lay it up before the Lord, 
to be kept for their generation." This manna was an em- 
blem of that" true bread," which was, in after ages, to des- 
cend from heaven for the support of man. 

" Christ crucified is the support of spiritual and eternal 
life ; faith is the mouth by which this support is received ; 
manna was an outward and visible sign of it to the Israelites 
in the wilderness ; the eucharist bread is such to Christians 
in the world,. When that holy ordinance is celebrated 
" the doors of heaven are opened," spiritual food is given from 
above, and ik man eats the bread of the mighty ones ;" wheth- 
er by " mighty ones" we understand those who eat the bread, 

* Esod. xvi. 15 



MOSES. iS> 

raid arc invigorated thereby, or tne blessed persons who give 
the bread to man. Such is our manna, our sustenance in tne 
wilderness, our viaticum while on the road to Canaan. But 
how is it" loathed" and despised, in comparison with Vk tne 
flesh-pots ol Egypt," by men" who believe not in God, and 
trust not in his salvation !"* 

On coming to Rephidim, the Israelites were again desti- 
tute of water ; a want which is frequently exptiienccd in 
that hot and sandy region. 

As usual, their former mercies were forgotten, and their 
rebellious spirit burst forth with violence against Mosea, who 
was constrained to fly to the Lord with his complaint. And 
his language sufficiently proves what a dangerous situation 
he was in trom tne seditious spirit which prevailed. " Wnat 
shall 1 do unto this people . ? " says he : * 4 they be almost 
ready to stone me."f 

Who can reirainirom sympathizing with this excellent man 
in his distress f And who would wonder at seeing the venge- 
ance of heaven tailing upon this perverse and thankless race ? 
But the " Lord is compassionate, long-suffering, and ol ten- 
der mercy." He bears with all the stubborn and way-ward 
conduct of his people ; and instead ol sending down judg- 
ments upon them, he commands his servant to smite the flin- 
ty rock in their presence. Moses obeys, and instantly a re- 
freshing torrent issues forth, and becomes a copious stream, 
which accompanies the Israelites through the principal part 
ot their toilsome journey. This miraculous production of 
water from the rock, is an expressive type of the redemp- 
tion which we have in Christ, who was ' smitter for our 
transgression ;"} and from whose side flowed a stream of 
*' water and blo«,d"$ to cleanse us from sin, to heal our in- 
firmities, and to refresh us in our journey through this wilder- 
ness. 

During the stay of the Israelites in Rephidim, and while 
they were faint and weary, th* Amalekites came in a trea- 
cherous manner, and smote that part of the camp which was 
incapable of making any resistance. This base and cow- 
ardly conduct in men who had sustained no injury, and who 
were besides nearly related to the seed of Jacob, being the 
Hneal descendants of Esau, roused the resentment of Mo- 
ses, who dispatched Joshua, with a chosen band, to attack 
them. While the ardent warriors were on the march, Mo- 

* Bishop Horn on the fSth FsaJ^ t Exod. xvii. £ 

4 b. hrii. S. $ j h u x^. 34, 



188 SCRIPTURE BIOGRAPHY. 

ses, accompanied by Aaron and Hur, ascended a hill to see 
the bactle, and to offer up his prayers for Israel's success. — 
It being oi served by his attendants that as long as his 
hands were lifted up Israel prevailed, but that when they 
drooped Amalek gained the advantage, they seated him up- 
on a stone, and each supported an arm of the venerable 
saint, so that he being thus eased and kept steady the Israel- 
ites acquired new vigour, and the Amalekites were over- 
thrown.* 

What an encouragement is this that we should u pray and 
not faint ?" Were the efficacy of prayer more valued than it 
is, how constant should we be in our closet devotions, how 
fervent in spirit, and how strengthened in our spiritual war- 
fare ! 

The prayers of the righteous avail much, even for public 
and national blessings. The pour and obscure Christian has 
an equal interest in heaven with those who are honourable 
and distinguished, and his zealous and sincere supplications 
may have an effect of which he knows n» -thing now, but 
which shall be clearly revealed unto him for his crown of re- 
joicing hert after. 

When the Israelites returned from the battle the victory 
was duly improved by religious adoration ; an altar was 
erected ; thanksgivings were offered ; and the place was so- 
lemnly consecrated in the name of Jehovah Nissi, " the 
Lord my banner." 

The history of Moses is, for the greatest part of it, the 
history of his nation ; but we are now to view him attend- 
ing the concerns of his family, and discharging some of the 
amiable duties of private life. 

During his arduous mission in Egypt, his wife and chil- 
dren had prudently been placed under the protection of 
Jethro in Midian ; and that excellent man, hearing that the 
children ol Israel were arrived in his neighbourhood, went 
to see his son in law, taking with him his daughter and 
grandchildren. The interview was affectionate on both 
sides, and Moses, after making public obeisance to Jethro, 
took him into his tent, where he related to him all that had 
*•' happt ned for Israel's sake, and all the travail that had 
come iiDon them, in the wav, and how the Lord delivered 
them."f 

Jethro, with that pure and generous sympathy which ever 
animates good and great minds at the prosperity of their 

* Exod. xyii. 8—15. f Xb. xviij. 8. 



MOSES. 189 

brethren, " rejoiced for all the goodness which the Lord had 
done to Israel." It gladdened his heart that the seed ol Ja- 
cob were rescued from bondage, and that the power and good- 
ness of Jehovah were so highly and visibly exalted in their 
redemption. 

Jethro, however, was not content with u blessing God" 
in the tent of Moses, but went out in the presence ot an Is- 
rael, and, in his priestly capacity offered a solemn sacrifice 
unto God, from whence it is evident, that the true taith and 
worship had been preserved in his lamils . Alter the sacrifice 
" Aaron and the eiders of Israei came and did eat bread \\ ith 
the father-in-law of Moses,"* which custom of feasting up- 
on, or alter sacrifices indicated a covenant of amity among 
the parties, as the preceding service did a solemn covenant 
with God. 

By the advice of Jethro, Moses appointed subordinate 
magistrates or judges, to hear and determine causes among 
the people, reserving to himself the decision of those which 
were complex and difficult. The measure was most judici- 
ous, and nothing can shew the profound wisdom and virtue 
of tnis excellent prince more strongly, than the advice which 
he gave to Moses on the choice ot proper persons to fill this 
important office. " Thou shait provide," says he, " out of 
ali the people, able men, such as fear God, men of truth, 
hatiug covetousiiess."f 

If we have cause to admire the sagacity of Jethro as a le- 
gislator, certainly we have no less cause to esteem Moses 
for his humility in being guided by his counsel. How few 
are there in high stations, who will patiently learn of other 
men ; or who will submit their understandi gs to be en- 
lightened, and directed by those of inferiour rank. Jethro 
was indeed a Midianitish prince, but then he was the head 
of a small tribe compared to Israel ; Moses was " king in 
Jeshurun,"^: kader of the chosen seed, learned in all the 
wisdom of the Egyptians, and the peculiar messenger of 
Jehovah. Notwithstanding these high distinctions, we see 
Moses attending gratefully to the counsels ot his father-in- 
law, and immediately putting into effect the plan recom- 
mended by him, lor the administration of justice. In this 
conduct of Moses, we perceive a striking illustration of the 
important maxim, that none are fit to teach or rule others, 
who are not at the same time willing to learn and obey. 

* Exod. sviii, }2. f lb. v. 21. £ Deut xxxiii. 5. 



199 SCRIPTURE BIOGRAPHY. 

On the departure of Jethro the Israelites removed to the 
foot of Mount Sinai, where they pitched their camp agree- 
able to the divine declaration made to Moses at the bush : 
* 4 Certainly i will be with thee, and this shali be a token 
that I have sent thee ; when thou hast brought forth thr peo- 
ple out of Egvpt ye shall serve God in this mountain ."* 

The miraculuus column which had hitherto guided them, 
now removed to the summit of the mountain, whither Pilo- 
ses repaired to receive the commands of Jewovah. On his 
return he convened the elders of the people, and informed 
them that the Almighty who had so powerfully delivered 
them from their oppressors, and had " borne them tenderly 
in their progress as it were upon eagle's wings,"! now pro- 
posed to take them into covenant with himself, and to make 
them 1W his peculiar treasure above all people ; a kingdom of 
priests and a holy nation," provided they would hearken to 
his voice, and obey the statutes which he ^should give them, 

Jehovah might doubtless have enforced his laws upon the 
Israelites, and have exacted their obedience without such a 
-contract ; but he chose to have a willing people, and not 
slaves for hL subjects. He compels none by an irresistable 
force to enter into his service ; he lays no restraint upon the 
human will to make it obedient to his commandments ; nor 
has he hedged up the passages to eternal life, and eternal 
death, within certain adamantine decrees. 

The Israelites received the proposal with gratitude and 
joy, exclaiming as with one voice, " All that the Lord hath 
spoken we will do." 

Three days were then employed in sanctifying the people, 
and in preparing them for the solemn proclamation of those 
statutes, by which they were to regulate their conduct both 
to God and man. Their very clothes were to be washed, 
that none of the contamination of Egypt might appear upon 
them; and that the people might be filled with a just ap- 
prehension of the holiness of Jehovah, and of that inward 
preparation which he requires in those who approach his 
presence. 

A barrier was placed round the mount, to keep off both 
man and beast from intruding upon the holy ground ; and so 
strict was the divine injunction, that even to touch any part 
of the sacred inclosure, incurred instant death to the offender. 

On the morning of the third day, and the fifteenth from 

* Exod. iiT. 12. j lb. six. 4 



k'^fej 



Moses. tn 

the institution of the passover, Sinai exhibited the mast tre- 
mendous appearances. The presence of Jehovah was 
ushered in by a fearful agitation of the elements. The ho- 
lv mountain shook to its very foundation, and emitted im- 
mense volumes of fl.»me and smoke ; the air was rent by vi- 
olent claps of thunder, sheets of vivid fire glared through the 
atmosphere, and the confusion was rendered still more terri- 
fying bv the loud roaring of the celestial trumpet. Well 
might the Israelites tremble at beholding this awful scene, 
and in hearing the voice of God speaking with Moses, it 
was indeed a sight so terribly magnificent, that the man oi 
God himself was afraid, and said, " I exceedingly fear and 
quake."* 

Now, if the promulgation of the law from Mount Sinai 
was attended with such strict prohibitions, and such terrify- 
ing circumstances, what will be the solemnity of that more tre- 
mendous day, when God shall descend in judgment to pun- 
ish the violators of it ? 

The ten commandments were delivered with all this gran- 
deur, from the top of a mountam, in the presence of all the 
people, and with the sound of a trumpet, to denote the im- 
mutability and universality of the law of Qor>. The judi- 
cial and ceremonial statutes were given rather privatelv to 
Moses, because they were to be of limited duration ; but 
the Moral Law was proclaimed aloud, to shew that it 
concerns all men, and is of perpetual obligation. The judi- 
cial law was adapted to the peculiar case and circumstances 
of Israel, as a people just emerged from slavery, and under 
the immediate government of God, consequently not obliga- 
tory upon other nations, though in many points highly de- 
serving of imitation. The ceremonial law was a mere sha- 
dowy representation of the great mystery of redemption, by 
the incarnation and sufferings of a mediator, as the one full 
and perfect sacrifice for the sins of the world. In allusion 
to this great event, and to shew that " without shedding of 
blood there can be no remission of sin ;"f Moses builds an 
ahar at the foot of the hill and sets up u twelve pillars, ac- 
cording to the twelve trihes of Israel;" after which he of- 
fers a solemn sacrifice to the Lord, and with the blood of the 
victim sprinkles both the altar and the representatives of the 
people. 

Who sees not in Moses, while standing thus between God 

* Heb. sii. 21. \ lb. i&. 22, 



192 SCRIPTURE BIOGRAPHY 

and the people, a lively emblem of Him, who in the fulness 
of time " came to fulfil the law and the prophets," and to 
offer up his own person an atonement for the transgressions 
of his p ople ? 

Who can contemplate the numerous rites of the Mosaic 
institution, the tabernacle service, the solemn passover, the 
shedding of blood, the sprinkling of the altar and of the 
people, the mediatorial character of the high-priest, the 
significant emblem of the scape goat laden with imputed 
guiit, and question the great Christian doctrine of atone- 
ment ? How absurd are all these ordinances, if they are not 
considered as prefigurations of the Redeemer, who came to 
rescue us from worse than Egyptian bondage, to be our very- 
paschal lamb, the high-priest of our profession, the mediator 
between God and man, the reconciler of heaven and earth, 
the u bearer of our iniquities, and the captain of our sal- 
vation made perfect through sufferings."* 

Taken in this view, as " the shadows of good things to 
come "f the services of the Old Testament are beautiful and 
instructive ; but in any other they are obscure, perplexing, 
and unsatisfactory. Take the doctrine of satisfaction and 
atonement as the key, and th^n all the dark and mysterious 
passages, institutions and prophecies of the Old Testament 
become plain and easy ; or in the words of our excellent 
church ; " the Old Testament is not contrary to the New ; 
for both in the Old and new Testament everlasting life is 
offered to mankind by Christ, who is the only mediator be- 
tween God and man, being both God and man. Where- 
fore they are not to be heard, which feign that the old fa- 
thers did look onlv for transitory promises.:): 

The elders of Israel b-ingthus solemnly prepared by the 
sprinkling of the sacrificial blood, accompanied Moses, 
Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu within the sacred inclosure, and 
obtained a sight of the glory of Jehovah ; but Moses was 
co nmanded to enter into the cloud, and to receive the laws 
and ordinances which were ordained for the government of 
Israel. There he remained forty days and forty nights, 
holding familiar intercourse with the Almighty, and in- 
structed by him in all things that related to the civil polity 
and religious service of the nation placed under his care.—— 
At the conclusion of this conference, Moses received two 
tables of stone, on which were inscribed the ten command- 

* Is. liii. 6. . f Heb, x. i. 

t Seventh article ®f the Church of England 



MOSES. I A 

mcnts, written with the finger of God himself. This is the 
earliest account we have of literal writing, for though learn- 
ing was in high reputation among the Egyptians, yet they 
had no other method of perpetuating the knovvlege of things 
than by hieroglyphics. 

During the absence of Moses, the rebellious and idolatrous 
spirit of the people burst forth into an act of profaneness, that 
could hardly have been expected in men who had the ter- 
rors of Sinai before them. " Up," say they u make us gods 
which shall go before us ; for as for this Moses, the man 
that brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we wot not what 
is become of him," 

Full of their impious project, the infatuated multitude 
gathered round Aaron, and insisted upon his making 
them gods similar to what they had been accustomed to 
in Egypt. 

The contemptuous and ungrateful manner in which they 
mention their generous leader, may well excite our indig- 
nation ; but we cannot help shuddering at the impious re- 
turn which thev make to Jehovah, for the wonders he has 
wrought in their behalf, and for the blessings he has shower- 
ed upon them. 

It is surprizing that no resistance was made by Aaron to 
this wicked and foolish demand ; neither do we read that 
he urged a single remonstrance against it. But it seems his 
fears were great, and seeing that the people were u bent on 
mischief," he complied with their desire, and having stripped 
them of their golden ornaments, he made thereof a " molten 
calf," the ordinary idol of Egypt. Before this image Aaron 
built an altar, and proclaimed u a feast unto the Lord." 
Waen the people beheld the glittering idol, " they offered 
burnt-offerings and brought peace-offerings unto it," and 
said, vt these be thy gods, O Israel, which brought thee up 
out of the land of Egypt." They had seen the power of 
Jehovan displayed in numerous instances, and the gods of 
Egypt, and those who put their trust in them, confound- 
ed, yet so stupid were they as to deify rhe wo k of human 
hands, and to pav divine honours to it, on the very spot 
where they had lately entered into a solemn covenant with 
the maker of heaven and earth. 

But when we condemn the sottish conduct of Israel, let 
us examine our own. How many times have we set up 
idols in our hearts, and sacrificed our affections and talents 
to them in opposition to the will of Ggd ! How often have 

% 13 



*9i SCRIPTURE BIOGRAPHY. 

we violated the covenant by which we were bound at our 
baptism to his service i And how ungratefully have we be- 
haved to him who died to redeem us from eternal death, and 
rose again that we might have an admission into the land of 
immortal rest and glory ! 

Israel of old is but a picture of ourselves, and in its de- 
liverance, progress, and rebellions, we may behold a lively 
representation of what has been done for our redemption by 
Jesus Christ, and what base returns we have made to him, 
for it. 

It is said, that after the people had done sacrificing to the 
idols, they " sat down to eat and to drink, and rose up to 
play." From the last expression it is supposed that they 
were guilty of the most shameful acts of debauchery, such 
as were common among the heathen nations after their re- 
ligious services. Infidelity and immorality are generally- 
united ; and when a man renounces his allegiance to God^ 
he becomes capable of any wickedness. 

Religious error is more dangerous than is generally 
imagined, for where principles are bad, practice cannot be 
good. Sound faith will produce a dread and an abhorrence 
of sin j but a corrupt creed is usually the source of a lax 
morality, error having a natural tendency to accommo- 
date all things, not to the will of God, but to the will of 
man. 

We must now leave the guilty multitude in the valley, 
and ascend to the holy sanctuary on the mount. Moses on 
receiving the tables of the law, was about to return to his 
charge, when the Almighty informed him of the dreadful 
scene below. The dialogue which passed between Jeho- 
vah and his servant is extremely interesting, and exhi- 
bits the character of Moses in the most amiable point of 
view, 

" And the Lord said unto him, I have seen this people, 
and behold it is a stiff- necked people : Now, therefore, let 
me alone that my wrath may wax hot against them, and 
that I may consume them j and I will make of thee a great 
nation."* 

Here was an offer held out highly tempting to an ambi- 
tious mind ; but Moses was above all selfish considerations, 
and his regard for Israel, notwithstanding the base ingrati- 
tude which he had experienced, was truly paternal. He 
hacl besides a deep concern for the honour of Jehovah 3 

* Excd. xxxil 9, 10. 



MOSES; 10$ 

who had engaged to lead the people from the house of bon- 
dage, to the land promised unto their fathers. u Wherefore," 
ays he u should the Egyptians say, for mischief did 
the Lord bring them out to slay them in the mountains, 
and to consume them from the face of the earth."* We 
see here that his zeal for the glory of God, and his love 
to the people committed to his charge, were above all 
regard for himself, or for the honour and aggrandizement 
of his family. 

His solicitations prevailed with the Almighty, and Moses 
descended from the mountain with a heart lightened in a 
considerable degree of its burden, though still grievously 
distressed at the folly of Israel. On approaching the camp, 
he perceived the infatuated multitude dancing round their 
insensible deity to the sound of music, and the sight filled 
him with so much indignation, that he cast the precious 
tables from his hands, and broke them to pieces. 

The zeal with which he was inspired, enabled him to face 
the whole congregation with majestic authority, and to seize 
the golden idol, which he reduced to powder. Then cast- 
ing the metal into water he compelled the stupid worship- 
pers to drink it, thus converting their sin into a shameful 
punishment. 

Nor was Aaron suffered to pass without a severe reproof 
for his cowardice, though he endeavoured to excuse his con- 
duct by urging the violent spirit of the people. How dif- 
ferent was his behaviour from that of his exalted brother, who 
singly opposed a whole nation, and bravely asserted the 
honour of Jehovah in the midst of a numerous assembly,per- 
forming religious services to an image of gold ! 

Though the prayer of Moses pevailed in preventing the 
utter extirpation of Israel, yet so flagrant a rebellion against 
the Lord was not to be passed over without exemplary pu- 
nishment. The Levites undertook this service, and with 
such promptitude did they execute the commission, that 
there fell in Israel on that fatal day, about three thousand 
men. 

Again did Moses ascend the holy mountain, where he 
poured out the agony of his soul in the most pathetic terms, 
confessing the sin of which the people had been guilty to be 
most heinous, but with his usual earnestness soliciting for- 
giveness for them, adding at the same time this remarkable 

• Exod, xxxii. 12. 



£96 SCRIPTURE BIOGRAPHY. 

request to his prayer for their pardon ; if not, blot me I pray 
thee out of thy book which thou hast written."^ 

Some persons have rashly concluded that Moses here 
prayed to be cut off from divine favour, rather than that Is- 
rael should not be forgiven. 

The same absurd interpretation has been given of a si- 
milar expression, made use of by St. Paul concerning the 
Jews of his day ; " For I could wish," says the apostle, 
" that myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren, my 
kinsmen according to the flesh. "f 

iiut after all that high- strained enthusiasm can make of 
these strong phrases, they amount to no more than to such a 
fervent desire in Moses and St. Paul for the welfare of Is- 
rael, as to make them willing to lay down their own lives for 
the promotion of it, agreeable to what our Saviour says, 
" Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down 
his life for his friends.":}: 

In answer to the prayer of Moses, God says, ct Whoso- 
ever hath sinned against me, him will I blot out of my book ; " 
and the event answered the declaration, for all that idola- 
trous generation pi risked in the wilderness, and did not enter 
into the land of promise, covenanted to the seed of Abra- 
ham. 

The mediation of Moses in behalf of the people, was 
not only effectual in obtaining their pardon, but also the con- 
tinuance of Jehovah's presence with them, as their conduc- 
tor, a favour which they had justly forfeited by their infidel- 
ity and idolatry. 

Moses having succeeded in this point so interesting to his 
heart, proceeded to a request that at first sight appears pre- 
sumptuous. li 1 beseech thee," says he to Jehovah," shew me 
thy glory. "§ Do we not tremble at this high demand in sin- 
ful dust and ashes, when we know that the leaders oi the ce- 
lestial hierarchies themselves veil their faces with their wings 
when they approach the dazzling splendor of the throne of 
God ? Who can behold the glory of God, and live ? Yet 
the prayer of Moses w r as not displeasing to Jehovah. He 
was told indeed that the fulness of the divine majesty could 
not be seen by a created being ; but he was favoured with a 
glimpse of that glory which is above all conception, and he 
endured this partial sight of him who is invisible. Jeho- 
vah hid hie* in a cleft of the rock, " and covered him with 

* Exod. xxxii. 321 f Rom. ix. 3. 

'$ John xv. 13.- § Exod. xxxiii. 18= 



MOSES. 19? 

his hand," according- to the figurative language ofscrip- 
. u while he made his glory to pass before him " 
Have we not here i striking representation of him who is 

th • " rock of his church," and in whose wounds believing 
sinners are sheltered from the l stormy wind and tempest," 
when the majesty of Goo ariseth in judgment upou a siniul 
world? Who can expect to behold the glory of G d and 
live, unprotected by die merits and powerful intercession of 
the Redeemer ? But thus secured we shall endure the bt a- 
tific vision, and stand with boldness beiore the celestial 
throne. " Behold I lav in Zioa," says he, wk for a foundation, 
a si one, a tried s lone, a precious corner stone, a sure 
ioundauon ; he that believeth shall not make ha&tt."* 

To every sinner, therefore, should be addressed this 
emphatic and encouraging exhor ation of the evangelic- 
al prophet, "Enter into the rock, and hide thee in the 
dust, for the fear of the Lord, and for the glory of his 
majesty."! 

After this Moses ascended Sinai again, taking with him 
two tables of stone instead of those which he had destroyed, 
and the holv immutable law was once more inscribed by the 
finder of Jehovah. 

The solemn covenant of amity was renewed between God 
and his people, and Moses remained forty days and forty 
nights in the mountain, during which time he was instruct- 
ed in all that pertained to the regulation of the Jewish polity. 
When he returned to the camp, his countenance shone with 
such brightness, that no one could endure to look upon him, 
on which account he was obliged to cover his face with a 
veil4 But Moses himself was ignorant of the glory which 
rested upon him ; for those who are the nearest in com- 
munion with God, are always the least sensible of their 
own graces To others their excellencies shine forth with 
great lustre, hut they do not themselves feel any sense of their 
own superiority. 

The life of Moses was extremely active, and when we 

* Is. xxviii. 16. f lb. ii. 10. 

t The painters very often represent Moses with horns in his head, 
because some old versions of the bible have stupidly rendered horned 
instead of he shined. The word indeed has the former meaning-, but 
it is on this very account that rays of light shoot forth from a luminous 
bodv like horns, whence it is that the same word is made use of to sig"- 
FMify a coronet ; as those worn by the ancient king's represented a circle 
sending forth rays. 



Ill SCRIPTURE BIOGRAPHY. 

consider his great age, at the time that he was so busily 
employed in the formation of the Israelitish constitu- 
tion, we have cause to wonder no less at his- exertions 
than his patience. Bat his communion with Jehovah 
certainly strengthened his bodily frame, and invigorated 
his faculties, at the same time that it spiritualized and en- 
larged his mind. 

It would be pleasing, and it 'would be no less profitable to 
enter into a minute description of the tabernacle, and of the 
various parts of its ritual, together with all the institutions, 
civil and religious, which took place after the last descent 
of Moses from the mount, But these things belong ra- 
ther to the history of Israel as a nation, than to the life of 
Moses, though he was the honoured instrument employed 
by heaven for their establishment. It is enough to say that 
ct he was found faithful in all his house,"* or that he made 
every thing perfect according to the pattern given to him 
in the mount ; and that he fulfilled his commission in such a 
manner as shewed that he had no regard to his own ease or 
honour, but to the glory of God, and to the good of his 
brethren. 

Anno mimdi, 2514. 

From Sinai the Israelites marched into the wilderness of 
Paran, where they soon fell into their old spirit of rebellion, 
and though the particulars are not recorded, the provocation 
must have been great, since the fire of the Lord descended 
and consumed numbers of them. Here again Moses acted 
as a mediator, and by his intercession the dreadful judgment 
was removed. 

But judgments and mercies were not long regarded by 
this perverse and ungrateful nation- The " mixed multi- 
tude," loathed the heavenly food, and as they approached 
Egypt, they began to long after its luxuries. Their discon- 
tent infected the Israelites, and they also murmured against 
the bread of God, as being of too simple a quality. " We 
remember" say they " the fish which we did eat in Egypt 
freely: the cucumbers, and the melons, and the leeks, and 
the onions, and the garlicks : but now our soul is dried away, 
there is nothing at all besides this manna before our eyes."f 
All the blessings of God were forgotten by this unthank- 
ful nation, and even their wretched condition in bondage 

* Heb. iii. 5. f Num. xi. 5 } 6. 



.MOSES. 199 

was not thought of by them, while they remembered the 
dainties of Egypt. Tneir grovelling minds preferred x 
state of slavery the most abject, provided their sensual ap- 
petites could be gratified, to a life of mere dependence upon 
the goodness of God. And are not we more fond of the 
carnal food of this Egvpt, this state of sin and bondage, than 
of die "bread of life" which came down from heaven:* 
Instead of vw learning with the apostle to be content in what- 
ever state we are placed,"! by Divine Providence, and nour- 
ishing our souls with spiritual food, are not our affections 
set upon the perishing things of this life, and do we not 
murmur and complain if God in his goodness and wisdom- 
deprives us of them ? 

Let the story of the Israelites teach us to mortif}' our sen- 
sual desires, and to be resigned to the will of God with 
thankful hearts, although the high seasoned viands of this 
world, its riches, honours, and pleasures are placed beyond 
our reach. 

These discontents of the people greatly distressed the soul 
of Moses, and he complained to the Lord, that the burden of 
governing them alone was too great for him to bear. The 
Almighty compassionated the condition of his servant, and 
directed him to appoint a judicial court, consisting of seventy 
elders. This appears to have been the origin of the Jewish 
Sanhedrim, or the supreme seat of judgment, which contin- 
ued till the time of Christ, possessed of high powers, though 
under the Romans, its authority was considerably lessened. 
On these seventy persons the spirit of prophecy was poured 
out, or such a portion of wisdom was given unto them as 
was necessary to qualify them for that arduous office to 
which they were called. A remarkable circumstance oc- 
curred on this occasion, which throws additional lustre upon 
the character of the Jewish legislator. After he had chosen 
the members of the supreme court, he was informed that the 
prophetic spirit had rested upon two young men in the 
camp, named Eldad and Medad. When the news was 
communicated to Moses, Joshua who had a warm zeal for 
his master's honour, which ke considered as infringed by 
this act, said to him, " My lord, Moses forbid them." The 
answer of the venerable minister of God was most exalted, 
and shews a mind superior to all jealousy : w Enviest thou 
for my sake ? Would to God that all the Lord's people were 

* John. vi. 51. f Philip iv. 11. 



200 SCRIPTURE BIOGRAPHY. 

prophets, and ihat the Lord would put his spirit troon 
them."* 

The good man rejoiced to see the outpouring of the spirit 
upon the people, for he was convinced that the more divine 
•wisdom was spread abroad, the temper and manners of" the 
nation would be improved thereby. 

We have remarked the discontent of the " mixed multi- 
tude and the Israelites," for the want of flesh, and their con- 
temptuous treatment of the bread of heaven. The Lord 
promised Moses that he would complv with their desires, 
and be accordingly caused prodigious flocks of quails, or 
as some will have it locusts, to fall round about their camp ; 
but 'bile they were so eagerly enjoying what they had so in- 
solently demanded, the anger of the Lord was kindled, and 
multitudes of them perished. u From hence we learn (savs 
a writer, whom it is always a pleasure to quote,) that inor- 
dinate desires, though sometimes complied with, and satisfi- 
ed by heaven, do not therefore go unpunished ; on the con- 
trarv, they are ofcen punished by being complied with. Tne 
blessings chosen for us by God are blessings indeed* and 
like the manna bring no sorrow with them ; but when we 
chuse for ourselves, and are so unhappy as to be gratified in 
that choice, our portion too often proves a curse ; and while 
the much loved morsel is vet between our teeth, " the wrath 
of God comes upon us," for making a wrong choice. This 
will al va\ s be the case in the end. whenever earth is prefer- 
red to heaven, and sense to faith. "f 

Not long after this judgment, Moses was attacked from a 
quarter the least expected, and upon a ground the most un- 
warrantable. Miriam and Aaron, thinking they did not 
possess that degree of authority to which they were entitled, 
murmured against their brother, saying, % Kath the Lord 
s.ooken only by Moses, hath he not also spoken by us?:):" En- 
vious and dissatisfied minds will have recourse to the most 
absurd means to gratify their spleen. Not knowing what 
else to allege against Moses, his brother and sister, re- 
proached him for having married an ^Ethiopian ivoman, a 
cixumstance which had happened many vears before, and 
which was not disapproved of by the Almighty to whom 
alone he was accountable for his actions. Moses made no 
reply to the cruel reproaches of his relations, whose baseness 
he was not willing to expose to the people. Well, there- 
fore, is it remarked in this part of his story, " that the mart 

* ^vuub. xi 29. j Bishop Hornefff svpra. = Numb. xg. 2r 



MOSES. $Q| 

Moses was meek above all the men upon the face of the 
earth ;" and it certainly manifested a most forbearing spirit 
to endure, without resentment, such treatment from his own 
kindred, but the Almighty took the determination of the 
cause into his own hand, and as Miriam was the ag- 
gressor in this sedition, she was smitten with a leprosy. Aa- 
ron, alarmed at this dreadful calamity, submitted in the 
most humiliating terms to his brother, and earnestly entreat- 
ed him to mediate in behalf of their sister. The prayer of 
Moses was heard ; and after being shut out of the camp 
seven days, as a public example, Miriam was restored to 
health, and received into the congregation. 

On approaching the confines of Palestine, Moses selected 
from the different tribes twelve persons to spy the land, and 
to discover its quality and strength. The return of these 
men must have been anxiously looked for by a people who 
had been so long wanderers in the desert ; but what must 
have been the astonishment of the Israelites when ten of the 
spies brought an evil report of the country, representing it 
as not only incapable of supporting its inhabitants but as 
being unconquerable ? Two of them, however, Caleb and 
Joshua, had the Honesty to give a different representation ; 
but the cowardly spirit of the others filled the minds of the 
people with despondency, and, after reproaching Moses 
with having deceived them by false promises, they openly 
declared their resolution of electing a captain from among 
themselves to lead them into Egypt. 

In this critical dilemma Moses applied to the Almighty, 
who again offered to raise his family into a mighty nation, 
and to extirpate a people who were so little deserving of his 
favour. 

Moses was not at all elated by this nattering proposal. His 
love for Israel notwithstanding all the cruel conduct which he 
experienced for his care and kindness, remained as ardent 
as ever ; and he pleaded their cause with so much earnest- 
ness, that the divine judgment was stayed, and they were 
preserved. But the Lord declared, that tor this heinous act 
of rebellion and impiety, " not one of the existing generation 
should enter into the promised land, except the two faithful 
spies Caleb and Joshua.''* The denunciation of this sentence, 
had such an effect upon the people, that some of them were 
resolved to force their way into Canaan, in spite of the re- 
monstrances of Moses, who freely told them, that as they 

• Xun-ib. xiv. 2r— 30 
2 C 



S02 SCRIPTURE BIOGRAPHr. 

were acting in opposition to the will of heaven they muss 
expect to be unsuccessful. but these rash men were benS 
upon their mad project, and were defeated by the Canaan** 
ites with a great slaughter. Tne rest retreated with all 
haste into the wilderness, and encamped at a place called 
Kadesh-baraea, where anotner sedition took place against 
Moses, headed by Korah, Dathan, and Abiram, who were 
discontented at not being put into public offices. These men 
were joined by two hundred and fifty others, and the con- 
spiracy began to wear a most formidable appearance, for 
they were persons of considerable distinction and influence, 
when the Almighty again interposed on behalf of his ser- 
vant. Moses, with an undaunted air, faced the rebels in the 
presence of the congregation, and said, " Hereby ye shall 
know that the Lord hath sent me to do all these works (for I 
have not done them of mine own mind.) If these men die 
the common death of all men, or if they be visited after the 
visitation of all men, then the Lord hath not sent me : but 
i! the Lord make a new thing, and the earth open her mouth, 
and swallow them up, with all that appertain unto them, and 
they go down into the pit, then ye shall understand that 
these men have provoked the Lord."* 

The decision of this appeal was most awful ; for the 
earth opened its jaws, and Korah, Dathan, and Abiram, 
with their adherents, descended alive into the horrible 
gulph. immediately after this a devouring flame of fire 
issued forth from the divine presence, which consumed 
the two hundred and fifty princes who had joined in the 
conspiracy. 

Yet so refractory and callous were the hearts of the peo- 
ple that the very day succeeding this fearful judgment, they 
had the temerity to accuse Moses with having been guilty of 
murdering those rebels who fell beneath the vengeance of the 
Almighty. Instead of resenting this cruel charge, Moses 
exerted himself to prevent the anger of the Lord from 
consuming the ungrateful nation, and he succeeded in 
his prayers, though not till some thousands had fallen in the 
plague. 

When we behold Moses standing in the gap between an 
an ry God and a sinful people, praying, pleading, and 
snuggling to save them from destruction, though they had 
been guilty of calumniating him as a murderer, and more 
than once had threatened his life, we are struck with astc* 

* Numb. xvi. 1— -35i 



. MOSES. 2(33 

ruslnrtentatthe generous qualities of his soul. How dif~ 
i r , , D t was his temper from that of many Christans, who, 
for the slightest causes, and frequent!) without any provoca- 
tion at all. seek to injure their brethren; and if they are 
prevented from carrying their malice into full effect, take a 
pleasure in reproaching and vilifying them ! And vet we 
•have a pattern i; finitely higher than that of Moses. Jesus 
Christ hath laid down his life for his enemies ; when he v as 
reproached he replied not ; when he was buffeted he took it 
patently; lacerated, he groaned not; crucified, he c<-m- 
plainedfnot, nut breathed forth upon the cross this prayer 
i'or his inhuman murderers : " Father forgive them, for 
they know not what they do."* 

Let these high examples operate upon our minds in era- 
dicating from thence ail wrath and malice, envy and revenge ; 
everything, in shot t, which has a tendency to lessen that 
love and benevolence which our holy religion strictly en- 
joi as us to exercise one towards another as children of the 
same common parent partakers of the same infirmities, and 
joint heirs of the same inestimable promises. 

From Kadesh-barnea the Israelites marched hack to the 
shore of the Red Sea, and after numerous journies which 
took up a period of no less than thirty -eight years, they 
came to the coast of Edom, where Miriam died Shortly 
alter this the people pitched their camp at Rephidim, where 
the vater, which had followed them for so long a time, 
failed, and they instantly broke out into bitter invectives 
against their leader. Jehovah directed Moses and Aaron 
to command water from the rock ; but instead of fulfilling 
the injunction exacth , Moses was provoked at the conduct 
of the people, and smote the rock twice, saying in the 
height ol his passion, " Hear now ye rebels, must zve fetch 
you water out of this rock ?"f The rock yielded to the 
powerful stroke, and poured forth refreshing streams in 
abundance; but the behaviour of Moses and Aaron was 
so displeasing to the Lord, that he passed this sentence upon 
them : vl Because ye believed me not to sanctify me in the 
eyes of the children of Israel, ye shall not bring this con- 
gregation into the land which I have given them." The of- 
fence of these good men appears to have been an intemperate 
resentment mixed with too much concern about their own 
h or our and accompanied by a want of trust in God. 

Their language to the people, " Must we fetch you water 

♦Lukexxiii. 33. } Numb. xx. J$. 



204 SCRIPTURE BIOGRAPHY-. 

out of the rock," did not become men who acted solely in 
the name of God. They failed to sanctify Jehovah in the 
presence of the congregation, by taking too much upon 
themselves, by speaking in their own names, and by exceed- 
ing the precise terms of their commission. Such was their 
offence, and so heavy was their punishment ; from which, we 
learn, that from men of superior stations, and possessed of 
pre-eminent talents, the Almighty expects an obedience pro- 
portioned to their advantages, and to the influence of their 
example. The- error of Moses and Aaron was apparently 
trivial, when compared with the offence of Israel ; but in men 
of their high station, and of their gifts, it was one of a most 
serious magnitude, and called for an examplary punishment. 

On the arrival of Israel at Mount Hor, which was their ve- 
ry next stage, Moses was commanded to strip Aaron of his 
pontifical garments, and to invest Eleazer, his son, with the 
office of high-priest. This was a painful task, for it not only 
deprived him of an affectionate relative and an useful asso- 
ciate, but it was an evident token that the divine sentence 
was irrevocable. 

Moses and Aaron, however, submitted to the awful man- 
date, and, accompanied by Eleazer, they ascended the moun- 
tain, where Aaron resigned his office to his son, and his 
spirit into the hands of God, in the year of the world 2552. 

The people were greatly affected at the loss of their holy 
and vigilant minister, and mourned for him thirty days. 

While they lay encamped at this place, king Arad, who 
dwelt in the south of Canaan, being jealous of their num- 
bers, came out secretly, and took some of them prisoners. 
But the Israelites soon avenged themselves for this act of 
treachery, by laying waste all his cities. This success flush- 
ed their spirits to such a pitch, that they conceived them- 
selves able to march at once into Canaan, and to conquer it 
without much difficulty. But the decree of Jehovah was 
immutable, and they were led back by the way in which they 
came. This mortifying disappointment produced another 
sedition, which was punished by a dreadful plague of fiery 
serpents, whose bite was death. The direful visitation had 
the effect of terrifying them into a momentary repentance ; 
and they made their submission to Moses, acknowleging 
their sin, and imploring mercy. His prayers for them were 
readily offered, and they were as speedily answered, for the 
Lord commanded him to set up a pole with a serpent of 
brass thereon ; " and it came to pass, that if a serpent had 



MOSES. I 205 

bitten any man, when he beheld the serpent of brass he liv- 
ed."* This circumstance was exactly typical of that sal- 
vation which we receive by the crucifixion of Je^us Christ. 
We are all of us u bitten by the fiery serpents of sin ;" and 
it is only by looking with an eye of faith to the Redeemer 
upon the cross, as bearing our iniquities, that we can avoid 
eternal death. If it were possible for a Christian to doubt 
this elucidation of the wonderful miracle we have been no- 
ticing, let the words of our Saviour himself explain it : 
" As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must 
the Son of Man be lifted up ; that whosoever believeth in him 
should not perish, but have eternal lfe."f 

We draw now fast to the close of this great man's life- — 
Though he was prohibited from entering into the land of 
promise, he had the satisfaction to see a preparation made 
for the entrance of the chosen seed, by their defeating, in 
various successive engagements, the Amorites, the Moa- 
bites, and Midianites, who came out against them. He saw 
that though the sentence pronounced against himself was ir- 
revocable, yet that the promise of God to Israel was firm, 
and that the covenant made with Abraham was drawing to a 
fulfilment. But if the goodness of God afforded him joy at 
this season, the shameful conduct of the people grieved his 
heart. They conquered the heathens around them, but the 
idolatrous practices of those nations subdued their affections ; 
and almost all Israel forsook Jehovah, and joined in the fil- 
thy services that were performed in honour of Baal-Peor. 
The zeal of Moses was kindled on this occasion, and he 
commanded the ringleaders in this detestable revolt to be 
put to death. This was the last public act of importance in 
the life of this extraordinary man. We find him afterwards 
engaged in numbering the people, employed in settling the 
several portions of the tribes, and in establishing certain re- 
gulations concerning the right of inheritance. These points 
being determined, he received a command from Jehovah to 
" get him up unto Mount Nebo,"^: and there to leave a 
world of sin and care for a land of eternal rest and glory. 
But the soul of Moses was still anxiously set upon the good 
of perverse, rebellious, and ungrateful Israel. He would 
fain have conducted them into the good land, and prayed 
earnestly to be indulged in that desire, but when he found 
that the word of God was immutably fixed, he submitted 
to the divine will, and only prayed that an able and pious 

i* Kumb. xxi. 9, t John iii, 14, 15. ; rw* -->-'■• aq. 






20€ SCRIPTURE BIOGRAPHY. 

leader might be appointed to succeed him. His request was 
acceptable to God, and he had the satisfaction of presenting 
his servant. Joshua at the divine command, to the high- 
priest Eleazer, to be consecrated to this great charge. In the 
appointment of Joshua, who does not perceive, and who 
"w ill not acknowledge the must exalted disinterestedness in 
3Vloses, who could suffer the whole of his own family to 
sink into the obscurity of private citizens, and consecrate for 
his successor one of another tribe ? 

The few remaining days of his life were spent in setting 
'beiore tne people their manifold obligations to God who 
had done such mighty thiugs for them, in exhortations to 
o&edtesrce, in pronouncing blessings, like Jacob, on the re- 
spective tribes, and in uttering some striking prophecies of 
their future condition. One of his predictions is too re- 
markable to be passed over without notice. It is that where 
he points strongly to the Messiah ; " The Lord thy God 
will raise up unto thee a prophet from the midst of thee, of 
thy brethren, like unto me, unto him ye shall hearken."* 
Tuis was an express declaration that the institutions oi Mo- 
ses were to last no longer than till the coming of this greater 
prophet. And this >ve know, that since the advent of 
Christ the Mosaic ritual hath failed, the judicial law has 
been destroyed, and the ceremonial one abrogated. The 
Jews have neither had a king nor a sacrifice, and the gospel 
of Christ has succeeded to the law of Moses. 

When the man of God had taken his last, solemn, and 
affecting leave of the people, he ascended the mountain, and 
from Pisgah he beheld the fer ile plains of Canaan. Though 
a hundred and twenty years old, t * his eye was not dim, 
nor his natural force abated." At this advanced period his 
mental faculties were in their full vigour, and his last sa> ings 
shew a judgment, a fir*, and an energy equal to any com- 
positions in the sacred volume. Having feasted his eves 
with a sight of the land of promise, he closed them on all 
worldly objects, and experienced 

A death like sleep, 
A gentle wafting to immortal life. 

The burial of Moses is a remarkable incident in scripture, 
and there are circumstances recorded co r cerning it o ex- 
traordinary, that perhaps no satisfactory conjecture can be 

* Dent sviii. 15. 



MOSES. 20/ 

formed on the subject. It is said that the " Lord buried 
the bDiiy in a valley in the land of Moan, over against Beth- 
peor ; and no man knoweth of his sepulchre unto this 
day.""* St. J ude observes : " Yet Michael the archangel 
when contending with the devil (he disputed about the body 
of Moses) durst not bring against him a railing accusation, 
but said, the Lord rebuke thee."f Whatever may be made 
of these obscure expressions, it appears clear that the bod) of 
this great man was secretly interred, that the people might 
not be induced, in imitation of the heathens, topeikrm 
religious rites at his tomb. 

The character of Moses has been so fully and minutely 
depicted in this account of his life, that it is unnecessar) to 
enter into a review of it. If he was timid in accepiiugthe 
important charge to which the Lord called him, he was 
courageous and indefatigable in iulfriimg it afterwards. His 
behaviour before Pharaoh shews a most intrepid mind ; and 
his conduct while he led the Israelites in the wilderness, in- 
dicates generosity, tenderness, piety, zeal, and above all,, 
that eminent quality " meekness." 

in Moses we have another type of the blessed Redeemer, 
for as he rescued the chosen seed from the house ol bondage,, 
so has Jesus broken the chains of our captivity, and led us* 
forth from the prison house into the " liberty of the sons of 
God." Moses was a prophet, priest, and king, and so is 
Christ unto his church. 

He instructs his people in the divine will, and gives them: 
directions during their pilgrimage in this wilder-es, and 
promises to console them in all their difficulties. As a priest 
he mediates on their behalf at the right-hand of the throne of 
God, and presents his own merits and sacrifice as an atone- 
ment for their sins. He is u King of Kings and Lore of 
Lords," being the Creator of heaven and earth ; but he is 
also " king in Zion," and rules in and over his pv ople m 
righteousness. Moses fasted forty days and forty nights in 
the wilderness, and so did our Redeemer, when he was tried 
by the tempter, and came off conqueror. Moses could nut 
lead the people into Canaan : neither can the law bring ay 
sinner unto God. Here the S viour rises superior to the 
Jewish legislator, for he not only conducts his church safe- 
ly through the wilderness, but carries it triumphantly into 
heaven. " Thus the law came by Moses, but grace aud 
truth cam- by Jesus Christ.":): 

• l)cvt. xx*iv. Q, j- Ep, y, & * Jo.Un, i, 17- 



208 SCRIPTURE BIOGRAPHY. 

BALAAM. %?T.jbs^i* . 
Slain by the Israelites anno mundi 2552, 

A BASER passion affects not the human heart than an 
inordinate love of riches. Other evil propensities 
may be corrected by frequent disappointments, or become 
tiresome by too much indulgence ; but avarice is checked by- 
no impediments, and encreases as fast as wealth accumu- 
lates. It takes such fast hold of the mind, that when the 
senses decay, and man totters on the brink of the grave, he 
still grasps his beloved mammon with eagerness, as though 
it were to be his god in eternity, as it has been in time. — 
This debasing principle deadens every generous feeling, 
blunts the common sensations of humanity, renders the heart 
insensible to every tender impression, and has a direct ten- 
dency to destroy all regard for religious as well as tor .social 
duty. 

In the scripture history 7 we have numerous instances of the 
baneful effects of this passion, some of which we have al- 
ready considered ; but we are now to contemplate one which 
is peculiarly remarkable, as shewing how far the love of gain 
will carry a man even against the special warnings of Pro- 
vidence, the light of divine inspiration, and the powerful 
convictions of his own conscience. 

The Israelites, during their progress in the wilderness, 
excited no small uneasiness among those nations on whose 
borders they occasionally encamped. The wonders which 
had been wrought on their behalf in Egypt and at the Red 
Sea were universally known, and filled the minds of those 
who heard of them with astonishment and dread. A peo- 
ple so distinguished by heaven were not likely to continue al- 
ways in an erratic state ; and, therefore, the countries round 
them were naturally afraid of falling beneath their power. 
The prophecy of their aggrandizement and settlement in Ca- 
naan, could not be unknown to the Moabites and Edomites, 
for the latter were the immediate descendants of Esau, and 
the former of Lot. All things, then, conspired to render 
these powers, as well as their neighbours, jealous of a peo- 
ple, whom all the force of haughty Egypt could not sub- 
due. After the defeat of Sihon, king of the Amorites, and 
Og, king of Basan, the Israelites marched to the borders of 
Moab, which greatly alarmed Balak, who reigned over that 
country. Here they pitched their camp, and neither shewed, 
nor intended any act of hostility, because they regarded the 



BALAAM. 5289- 

Moabites as their brethren. Had Balak possessed any pru- 
d. at and generous qualities, he would have courted the alli- 
ance of this extraordinary people. Or, if he had been truly- 
courageous, he would have marched out boldly against them, 
and have endeavoured to drive the formidable intruders 
from his dominions- But Balak was mean, suspicious, and 
cowardly. He was also, as men of his character frequently 
are, extremely superstitious. Not daring to trust to the 
number or valour of his troops, he had recourse to magi- 
cal arts against his enemies ; a practice common in that age, 
and not in that only, but in those of a later date, and among 
nations of greater wisdom and renown. It was an early be- 
lief that necromancers could controul the invisible powers, 
and by their assistance bring down blessings and curses up- 
on mankind. This popular superstition has spread itself 
over all the earth, and prevailed among nations the most rer 
mote from each other. Nor has it quite lost its ground in 
those countries which have been blest by the cheering and in- 
structive rays of Christianity, for even in them the false tales 
of inchantment and of witchcraft make so deep an impres- 
sion on the mind in childhood, as scarcely to be eradicated 
when reason assumes her dominion over it. 

Balak, who had the most terrifying apprehensions of the 
potency of Israel's God, would not trust to the skill and 
wisdom of his own inchanters, but hearing of the fame o£ 
Balaam, the son of Beor, or Bosor, who dwelt at Pethor, in 
Mesopotamia, he resolved upon sending an embassv to in- 
vite him to his court. The message which he sent sufficient- 
ly expresses the fears by which Balak was actuated, and the 
miserable superstition which darkened his mind. " Behold," 
says he, 4i there is a people come out from Egypt ; behold 
they cover the face of the earth ; and they abide over against 
me. Come now, therefore, I pray thee, curse me this peo- 
ple, for they are too mighty for me ; peradvemure I shall 
prevail, that we may smite them, and that I may drive them 
out of the land ; for I wot that he whom thou blessest is 
blessed, and he whom thou cursest is cursed."* 

Most of the Jewish and Christian commentators represent 
Balaam as an idolater ; but certainly not upon satisfactory 
grounds. He appears rather to have been a prophet and a 
priest, for he makes use of the tremendous name of God ; 
he consults him as one who had frequently received divine 
communications, and in his interview with iialak he offers sa- 

* Numb. xxii. 5, 6, 
2B 



$m SCRIPTURE BIOGRAPHY. 

crifices to Jehovah in a sacerdotal manner. But Balaana 
was covetous, and living amongst nations who put an impli- 
cit confidence in the power of inchantments, he blended that' 
profession with the worship of the true Gob Nor does it 
derogate from the majesty, wisdom, and goodness of Jeho- 
vah, that he should condescend to make use of such an in- 
strument. We find Cai iphas, the bigoted and cruel high- 
priest, at the examination of our Saviour, uttering a pro- 
phecy, of the exact import of which he was himself uncon- 
scious. There was also a covetous traitor among the apos- 
tles, who had doubtless preached the gospel of his master, 
and possessed the power of working miracles in common 
with his brethren. It is a powerful testimony in behalf c£ 
truth and innocence which comes from tht mouth of an ene- 
my ; and in this view the prophecies of Balaam are of the 
greatest importance. 

The messengers of Balak came to the house of the pro- 
phet, bearing " the rewards of divination" in their hands. 
The vanity of Balaam was elated bv this application, and 
the prospect of honours and riches which it held out to hira 9 
was not to be despised. He had some fear of Jehovah, but 
yethe wished to go with the messengers, for he desired them 
to tarrv with him that niofht, that he might enquire of the 
Lord whether he should comply with the desire of Balak or 
a?.ot. 

In the night Balaam received a strict and peremptory 
command from the Lord not to go with the messengers, for 
that the people whom tSalak wanted him to u curse were bles- 
sed." When morning came, he reluctantly dismissed the 
men with an answer which sufficiently shewed that he had 
the inclination, though not the power, to accompany them. 
Instead of a free and honest declaration of what he had re- 
ceived from God, he said, u the Lord refuseth to let me gor 
with you." Had he told them that Israel was blessed, and 
that he could on no account whatsoever execrate the favour- 
ed of heaven, probah4\ the king of Moab would not have 
sent to him a second time ; but Balaam was not willing to of- 
fend Balak bv informing him of the truth,.and the complais- 
ant embassadors, equally as willing to please their master, 
altered even the prophet's concise answer, saying, " Balaam 
refuseth to come with us " It was natural then for Balak to 
supposejthat Bilaam was displeased at not having had a more 
splendid t mbassy, ortha* be stood out for higher terms than 
What bad been offered him. Possessed of this idea, and 



BALAAM. mi 

more eager to obtain his object, he dispatched instantly a 
more honourable and numerous deputation than the iormer, 
consisting ot the first princes of his court, and proffering 10 
the covetous prophet profuse riches and high distinctions. 
Plis answer to these messengers would have been admirable, 
it his actions had been consistent. '" , It Balak," says he, 
i4 would give me his house full of silver and gold, 1 cannot 
go beyond the word of the L >rd my God. to do ltss or 
morl•. , '* Now, if he had possessed any real piety, or had 
been more z^aious for the honour of God tha» he was eager 
for his own ends, he would have dismissed the embassadors 
at once upon the strength of the declaration which he had 
already received. But Balaam was willing to try whether 
the Almighty could not be prevailed upon to give him leave 
to visit the ki >g of Moab, and therefore desired these em- 
bassadors to tarry also with him that night. The Lord who 
saw into the desires which lurked in his heart, gave him a 
permission to follow his inclination, or rather left him to pur- 
sue it, only laying this restriction upon him to speak as he 
should be directed. Overjoyed at having obtained his ob- 
ject, Balaam rost up betimes in the morning, eager to earn 
and to receive the " wages of unrighteousness." 

Behold Balaam posting on his sinful journey, counting 
perhaps his gains, meditating upon the honours he should 
receive, and never once thinking upon the injustice of the 
business in which he was engaged. 

As he was on his journey, the Almighty gave him ano- 
ther and still more remarkable sign that his conduct was 
displeasing in his sight. The angel of Jehovah appeared 
in the way with a drawn sword in his hand, but the fa- 
culties of Balaam were intent upon worldly objects, and he 
beheld not the apparition. The ass on which he rode alone 
saw the tremendous vision, and to avoid it, turned aside 
into a field, which so provoked the prophet, that he smote her 
with his staff. The angel next appeared to oppose the pro- 
gress of Balaam in a narrow way, which led through some 
vineyards, having a wall on each hand ; here the ass again 
attempted to save her master by turning aside, and thereby 
crushed his foot against the wall. Tiiis roused his fury 
against the poor animal into greater violence, and he smote 
her with his st;*ff with extreme severity. On coming to a 
p iss still narrower than the former, the angel made a full 
stand, and tne ass perceiving that it was impossible to avoid 

*Numb. xviii. 



£12 SCRIPTURE BIOGRAPHY. 

him, fell down beneath Balaam, who with savage ferocity 
laid on his blows with redoubled violence. The Almighty 
then opened the mouth oi the injured animal, and gave her* 
power to remonstrate witn tue infatuated prophet on the 
cruelty of his conduct. But Balaam, instead of perceiving 
the linger ot God in this mysterious transaction, and calling 
hi, sin to remembrance, was proot against even the power 
oi miracles, and expressed a wish that he had a sword in his 
hand to slay the faitnful beast which had saved his life. The 
messenger ol Jehovah iovv made himself visible unto him, 
and the terrified prophet immediately fell on his face to the 
eartii. B.;iore the an^el proceeds to declare the purport of 
his mission, he charges Balaam with cruelty to the j^oor and 
deienceiess animal on which he rode. il Wherefore hast 
thou smitten thine ass these three times £"* Does tne Al- 
mighty then take pity on the low and despised part of the 
brute creation I Will he bring into judgment those acts of 
cruelty which insolent man commits upon the dumb «md de- 
fenceless, however contemptible and insignificant they ap- 
parently may be ? Let this incident in the story of Balaam 
convince us that he does take cognizance of such actions, 
and tnat he will one day make an exact enquiry concerning 
them. " A righteous man regardcrth the life or" or is ten- 
der to u his beast ; but the tender mercies of the wicked 
are cruel."f 

Balaam was convinced now that his eagerness to under- 
take thib journey was offensive- to the Almighty, and being 
filled vvim terror by the flaming vision before him, orfered 
to return j but it was in terms which plainly shewed that he 
wished rather to proceed. " Now, therefore," says he, u if it 
di-piease thee, 1 will get me back again." The angel per- 
ceiving the sinfulness of his heart, leit him to his own in- 
clination, but laid a powerful command upon him not to 
speak a word more nor less than as he should be directed 
from above. 

Tnis circumstance has occasioned considerable specula- 
tion, and no little degree of ridicule according to the prin- 
ciples of different writers. Some commentators have turned, 
the whole into allegory, or parable, or vision ; and they 
might, if they had pleased, with equal propriety, have 
made a table or a dream of the whole history. Moses teiis 
the story with as much plainness, perspicuity, and sobtr- 
Siess, as he does any other in the sacred books ; on what ac-s 

* Numb, xxxa. f Prov. xii. 1C 



BALAAM. 213 

count therefore have we a right to depart from the literal 
construction oi the relation i uut is there any thing ab- 
surd in thi^ miracle, any thing beneath the dignity oi God, 
01 inconsistent With the whole narrative ( Fear tu the tun- 
trary. An ass may i>e proverbially stupid among men, but 
she is yet a part oi God's creation, and she appears to have 
been fitly chosen on this occasion to "rebuke" as St. Peter 
expresses it, *" the madness oi the prophet !"* Reason is 
supernaturally besiowed upon the quucsl oi quadrupeds, 
that an oracle of wisdom may be conioundcd. The re- 
monstrance oi the ass is consistent, being not upon the con- 
duct of Balaam as a prophet, but as a master ; not upon 
his disobedience oi God, out upon ms wanton cruelty to 
herseh. iMow, what is there in this miracle that can make 
it an object of ridicule, or to raise a just objection to the 
truth oi the sacred history . p Is any thing too hard for the 
Almighty, or is he to be tied down to such a rnoue oi per- 
forming miracles as we shall conceive to be consistent t is 
it more dirficuk, or is it more absurd to give a human voice 
and reason tor a moment to an ass, than to an ideot j and 
ma) not he who has given sight to the blind, and spceGh to 
the dumb, open the mouth oi the most despised animal, to 
bring down the haughtiness and impiety oi man I 

An objection to this miracle will apply with equal force 
to any or all of the miracles recordeu in the Old and New 
Testaments, and li this is given up to fanciful ana fastidious 
criticism, or to arrogant iniideiity, we may as well renounce 
the whole Bible at once. 

Balaam, on the departure of the angel, advanced to the 
court of the king of Moab, who received him with great 
gladness, at the same time giving him a gentle rebuke for 
not acceding to his first request. The prophet, who had 
the sword of divine vengeance in his view, and trembled 
under a sense of the dangei to which he had been exposed, 
answered Baiak as he had done the messengers, that he could 
do no more than as God should direct him. The king of 
Moab, however, had no doubt but that he should obtain 
the full accomplishment of his wishes, ior his dependence 
was upon the mercenary desires oi Balaam, and not upon 
the God whom he worshipped. Not willing that any time 
should be lost, he took the prophet to an eminence, that from 
thence he might behold the camp of Israel. Here Balaam 
ordered that seven altars should be erected, on which he of- 

• 2 Pet. n. 16 



*14 SCRIPTURE BIOGRAPHY. 

fered as many sacrifices, and then being overpowered By the 
constraining power of the holy spirit, he proclaimed, not a 
curse, but a blessing upon the tents of Jacob, exclaiming 
at the close of it, " Let me die the death of the righteous, 
wid let my last end be like his,"* which some judicious di- 
vines have supposed had an allusion to that violent death of 
which he had cue presentiment. Let this be as it may, it 
shews that even the wicked, however unwilling they are to 
live tne life, are yet desirous to die the death of the righte- 
ous. They would, like Balaam, enjoy the world, and its 
honours, and its pleasures, but when the prospect of eter- 
nity draws near, they would fain be numbered with those 
who nave made righteousness the rule of their lives. 

Balak, astonished at the conduct of Balaam, complained 
feitterly that he had deceived him, but the prophet, again 
excused himself with the plea that he could not go beyond 
the commandment of the Lord. The king of Moab, how- 
ever, would not entirely abandon his object, and therefore 
pressed B duam to remove to another place, with wliich he 
as readily complied. But here also, after offering seven 
.bur; it-offerings, the constraining power of inspiration com- 
pelled him to utter a benediction instead of an execration — 
So strong indeed were his expressions, that the terrified 
Baiak, who appr bended nothing less than the prediction of 
his ovvm utter destruction, cried out, " Neither curse them 
at all, nor biess them at ail;'" But he took Balaam to 
another hill, where, as usual, seven sacrifices were offered, 
after which the prophet pronounced a prophecy of the en- 
creasiig power of Israel, and the destruction of their ene- 
mies in the most gloving terms, which so irritated and af- 
fected Baiak, that smiting his hands together, he exclaimed, 
4t i called thee to curse mine enemies, and behold thou hast 
blessed them these three times. Therefore now flee thou to 
thy place : 1 thought to promote thee unto great honour, but 
lo, the Lord hath Kept thee back from honour."! 

Balaam's reply was dignified ; and had he not shewn suf- 
ficient proofs of his venality, we might from hence be led 
to pass a commendation upon him. But he acted not now 
of his own will. His ass was not more under the compul- 
sory power of a divine agency, when she uttered the words 
oi wisdom, than her wretched master was in this interview 
with Balak. " Spake I not also," says he, " unto thy 
messengers which thou sendest unto me, saying, it Balak 

*~-~b. xxili. 19. f lb. xxiv. 10, 11. 



BALAAM. 215 

would give me his house full of silver and gold, I cannot 
go beyond the commandment of the Lord to do either good 
or bad of mine own mind, but what the Lord saith, that 
will I speak ?" 

Being still under the divine direction, he poured forth a 
prophecy concerning Israel, and the fate of the diff rent 
nations around still more emphatic, particular, and lofty, 
than any of his former predictions He begins with a point- 
ed description of the Messiah, who in after ages should 
arise from among this highly distinguished people. u 1 shall 
see him, but not now ; 1 shall behold him, but not nigh - r _ 
there shall come a star out of Jacob, and a sceptre shall 
rise out of Israel, and shall smite the corners of Moab, 
and destroy all the children of Seth."* If this be true of 
David in gome sense as a conqueror, it is still more so of 
the Redeemer, who is the u bright and morning star.'^ 
44 the day spring from on high,":): the M sun of righteous- 
ness,"§ and the " King of Zion."<J] The prediction of Ba- 
laam corresponds exactly with that of the dying Jacob, and 
can only apply in all points to him who hath ** brought life 
and immortality to light by his gospel ;" j| who hath subdued 
the spiritual enemies of his church, and to whom all the 
kingdoms of the earth shall finally be subject. 

Bafaam having finished his predictions so mortifying to 
the superstition, malice, and pride of the king of Moab, 
was driven from his presence with contempt and indigna- 
tion. But when he was left to the dictates of his own mind, 
the fallen prophet endeavoured to regain the favour of Balak, 
by advising him to entice the Israelites into idolatry and li- 
centiousness, through the meretricious attractions of the 
Moabitish women. He hoped by these means to render 
them an easy prey to their enemies ; for he conceived, rightly 
enough, that the surest way to destroy a people is to pervert 
their principles, and to corrupt their manners. The coun- 
sel of Balaam was adopted, and it proved too successful, 
for the Israelites fell into the snare which was laid for them, 
and suffered for it. 

Balaam, abandoned by the Almighty, and full of ran- 
cour against Israel, through whom he had lost the favour of 
Balak, on his journey homewards stirred up the Midianites 
to engage in a war against them, and fell in the contest. 

From the story of Balaam much may be learnt, but i» 

• Numb. xxiv. 17 f Rev. x-xii. 16. * Luke i. 78. 

.$ MaL ir. 2-, «J Ps. & 6. ]| 2 Tim. i. V& 



216 SCRIPTURE BIOGRAPHY. 

general it teaches us to mortify our passions, and to consult'" 
the word and commandment of the Almighty in all our 
undertakings. It is dangerous to tamper with the u wages 
of unrighteousness," and to indulge a desire for that which 
we know cannot be obtained, but at the expence of " a 
good conscience." If the evil inclination is once cherished, 
it will soon gain ground and destroy every principle of duty; 
it will overspread the mind, and render it insensible to all 
" that is just, and lovely, and of good report." 

This history further reminds us that something more is 
necessary than the mere profession of religion. Balaam, 
could presume to call the Lord * % his God ;" and could 
utter many very pious, and indeed sublime sentiments, but 
his heart was destitute of grace. Let it be our constant 
care, therefore, to watch over our hearts, and to examine 
ourselves whether we possess the substance as well as the 
mere profession of failh. It will not suffice to say that we 
have k * prophesied in the name of the Lord ; and in his name 
have done many wonderful works. " # Thousands will be 
able to sav the same at the last day, to whom these awful 
words will be addressed, " I never knew you : depart from 
me ve that work iniquity." 

Keeping this solemn consideration in our minds, let us 
take warning by those we have * v made shipwreck of their 
faith, and by avoiding their errors, study to maintain " a 
conscience void of offence, both towards God and towards 
man."f 

* Matt. vii. 22, 25. | Acts. xxiv. 16, 






I 217 J 
,1 JOSHUA. £?*/>.*}**' 

Born anno mundi 2468, died 2578. 

IF the wisdom of God is strikingly displayed in the ge- 
neral order and preservation oi his church, it is equally 
so in raising up proper persons tor her service. When men 
of eminent talents and piety are removed from the sphere of 
usefulness to the kingdom of light, we are apt to think that 
the loss is irreparable, and that a breach has been made 
which time will never close. This only shews our ignorance 
and want of faith : for as the Almighty will never be with- 
out " a seed to scrrve him," so neither will he be without 
instruments in every age to carry on his great work in the 
world. 

Moses died at a very critical juncture ; when the children 
of Israel were arrived on the borders of the promised land, 
and had many formidable enemies to encounter ; but Jeho- 
vah had already provided a man qualified to succeed his 
faithful servant in the person of Joshua, the son of Nun, of 
the tribe of Ephraim. 

This excellent person had been for many years the dis- 
ciple and confidential friend of Moses, in which capacity he 
must have profited considerably both in wisdom and piety. 
He appears to have shewn early a turn for military affairs ; 
for while he was yet but a young man Moses sent him at 
the head of an expedition against the Amalekites, in which 
he acquired great renown. 

We find him after this accompanying his venerable lord' 
to Mount Sinai, and abiding there forty days and forty 
nights, during which time the laws and ordinances for. 
the government of Israel were delivered by Jehovah unto 
Moses. 

His attachment to that great man was ardent, and on one 
occasion prevailed over prudence. When information was 
brought to Moses that two young men were prophesying to 
the people, the zeal of Joshua was roused for the honour of 
his master, which he imagined was injured by what he con- 
sidered as an act of presumption, and he urged that an im- 
mediate stop might be put to their proceedings. But Moses 
had more enlarged views, and so far from discountenancing 
rising talents, he checked the eagerness of his servant in these 
forcible and generous words ; " Enviest thou for my sake ?. 

2 E 



MS SCRIPTURE BIOGRAPHY. 

Would to God that all the Lord's people were prophets^ 
and that the Lord would put his spirit upon them ?"* 

The next incident in the life of this eminent person shews 
a mind zealous for truth amidst the most formidable oppo- 
sition, and bold in maintaining it even in the face of death, 
itself. 

On reaching the borders of Canaan Moses selected twelve 
men from the different tribes to explore the country, and to 
bring a just account of its productions and inhabitants. 
These persons, it is supposed, divided themselves into six 
companies, that they might pass undiscovered through the 
country, and likewise obtain a more exact and extensive in- 
formation. Ten of these spies, at their return to the camp, 
xnade so unfavourable a report of the land, and so greatly 
exaggerated the number and strength of the inhabitants, that 
the Israelites were thrown into despair, and began to form, 
the resolution of abandoning Moses, and marching back to 
Egypt. The mutiny was most alarming, when Joshua and 
Caleb, the other spies, boldly declared that the report o£ 
their associates was false, and the result of cowardice. " The 
land which we passed through to search it," say they, " is 
an exceeding good land. If the Lord delight in us, then he 
will bring us into this land, and give it us ; a land which 
floweth with milk and honey. Only rebel not ye against 
the Lord, neither fear ye the people of the land, for they 
are bread for us ; their defence is departed from them, and 
the Lord is with us ; fear them not."f 

This noble address, instead of calming the agitated minds 
of the people, and bringing them to their duty, only added 
fuel to their rage, and they were about to stone Oileb and 
Joshua, when the presence of the Lord interposed in behalf 
of his servants. For this heroic conduct these good men 
were privileged to enter into the land of promise, from 
whence all the rest of that generation were excluded*. A 
honourable distinction was, moreover, put upon the son of 
Nun, in altering his name from Hoshea to Jehoshua, which 
signifies u the Lord the Saviour," and is the same as Jesus 
in '3reek. It was doubtless given to him in a mystical 
allusion to that spiritual saviour, of whom, in a variety of 
respects, he was an eminent type. 

When Moses was commanded to " get up into Mount 
Kebo, and to die there," he was exceedingly anxious to 

•JKusib. si. 29, | lb. xlt. 7—9. 



JOSHUA. 21* 

leave the people under the direction of a wise, vigilant, and 
ni us person. The Lord attended to the request of his aged 
Servant, and directed him to present Joshua to Eleazer, the 
high-priest, that he might be consecrated to the important 
offie- of conducting Israel into Canaan. Moses readily 
parsed over his own family, and resigned his authority to 
one, or' whose Zeal and abilities he had abundant experience, 
Josnua was accordingly consecrated by the high-priest, in 
the presence of all the people ; and Moses gave him this so- 
lemn, impressive, and encouraging charge : " JJe strong and 
of a good courage : for thou must go with this people unto 
the land which the Lord hath sworn unto their fathers to 
give them ; and thou shalt cause them to inherit it. And 
the Lord he it is that doth go before thee ; he will be with 
thee : tie will not fail, neither forsake thee : fear not, neither 
be dismay < d."* 

On the death of Moses Joshua entered upon this im- 
portant station ; but though circumstances were then most 
critical, as he had a nation under him unused to war, and 
formidable enemies to encounter, yet his mind was firm, 
and he lost no time in preparing to pass over Jordan. He 
was, indeed, greath strengthened by a promise of success 
given to him, directh from Jehovah himself j " There 
shall not any man be able to stand before thee all the days 
of thy life ; as I was with Moses, so will I be with thee ; I 
will not fail thee, nor forsake thee."f 

He received, at the same time, a charge to make the holy- 
law his constant study, and " to meditate therein day and 
night." Nothing will enable a man to discharge the duties 
of his station, particularly if it is a public and a difficult 
one, so well as an habitual acquaintance with the word of 
Cod. 

We are here taught exactly the line that should be pursu- 
ed in every circumstance and condition, and we are encour- 
aged to practise w r hat is right by the most striking and pow- 
erful examples. They who are called to the honourable but 
h. zirdous service of opposing the enemies of their country, 
have the greatest need of that heavenly panoply which "is 
furnished by the gospel. It will preserve them amidst those 
powerful and numerous temptations to which they are pecu- 
liarly exposed ; it will give energy to their minds, and ren- 
der them collected and fearless in the hour of danger and 
©f death. 

* Dcm;. 3*;d. ?• 8. f Josh. i. 5, 



220 SCRIPTURE BIOGRAPHY. 

In Joshua we contemplate with admiration the religious 
warrior, always consulcing the will of God, and publicly 
avo ing his determination " to serve him with his whole 
ho ase." Th influence of such an example must necessari- 
ly be very extensive ; and the men under his command 
would be animated as much by his piety as by his courage. 

As soon as he received the divine command to enter Ca- 
naan, he gave the necessary orders to the people to prepare 
themselves to pass over Jordan. It was now at that season 
of the year when the river overflowed its banks, and there 
were no means of crossing it. tint Jehovah, to convince 
the people that nothing should be able to stand before them, 
caused trie waters to divide, and they all passed over dry 
shod into the promised land, as their fathers had done in 
crossing the Red Sea at their deliverance from Egypt. The 
fame of this astonishing miracle was soon spread abroad 
among the different nations wnich inhabited the country, and 
*' tneir heart was melted, neither was there spirit in them 
any more, because of the children of Israel."^ This sudden 
panic, however, did not prevent the in from taking measures 
for their security against these extraordinary invaders ; and 
Joshua also prepared himself for a severe contest. Though 
the Almighty has ordained that his people shall enter and 
possess themselves of Canaan, he will uot allow them to gain 
it without great exertions. Nor must the Christian expect 
to obtain his eternal inheritance, and his M crown of glory," 
till he has fought and conquered his spiritual foes. He must 
" overcome the world, the flesh, and the devil," before he 
©an have an admission into the New Jerusalem, and " par- 
take of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the para- 
dise of GoD."f 

Before Joshua commenced his operations against the Ca- 
naanites, he took care to renew the rite of circumcision, 
which had been for a long time omitted. The passover was 
also celebrated with great solemnity, that the children of Is- 
rael might have their minds duly impressed with a re- 
gard for those ordinances which they had received from Je- 
hovah, to keep them distinct from all other nations. 

The first place that presented itself against them was Je- 
richo, a city of gp-eat strength, and closely guarded, lest an 
attempt should be made to take it by surprize. While Jo- 
ghua was engaged in viewing its fortifications, and perhaps 

* Jo*h. v, 1. f Rev. it. 7. 



JOSHUA. «2i 

with some degree of concern and anxiety, an extraordinary 
person appeared before him with a drawn sword in his hand. 
The Israeiitish general readily advanced, and demanded 
" whether he was tor them or for their enemies ?" to which he 
received this answer, " Nay, but as the captain of the Lord's 
host am 1 now come."* Joshua was instantly convinced 
that this was no other than the angel of the covenant, who 
had delivered Israel from Egypt ,and was now come to put 
them in possession of the land promised to their fathers. — 
He therelore fell upon his face and worshipped him. For 
this he received no check, which he would have done, had the 
visitant been merely a created intelligence ; for when St. John 
committed a similar act to one of the celestial messengers, 
he was charged not to adore the creature but the Creator.f 
He to whom Joshua paid religious honour, not only receiv- 
ed the homage, but commanded him. as he did Moi.es in Ho- 
reb to " take off his shoes, for that the place whereon he 
stood was holy." 

Now, religious adoration paid to any creature was strictly 
prohibited in that law which Joshua was commanded to stu- 
dy, consequently the Being before whom he fell prostrate at 
this time could be no other than Jehovah. We find by St. 
Paul, that he who led Israel in the wilderness, and was 
*' tempted by them, was the same who, " in the fulness of 
time," came clothed in human nature for the redemption of 
his churcn ; the inference, therefore, is obvious, that Joshua 
now conversed with that glorious personage, of whom he had 
the distinguished honour to be a type. 

Jericho shortly after this was entirely destroyed, and 
Joshua pronouncad a curse, in the spirit of prophecy, upon 
the man who should undertake to rebuild it. This predic- 
tion was exactly fulfilled in the person e»f Hiel, the Betheiite, 
in the reign of Ahab, above five hundred years after the 
death of Joshua.:): 

It does not i ail within the compass of my design to enter 
into a detail of the wars in which Joshua was engaged ; as 
that subject belongs rather to the general history of the Is- 
raelites. Bat it cannot be passed over that his conduct as a 
general was most skilful, brave, and disinterested. He punc- 
tually fulfilled all the commandments which he received from 
God, and he always behaved with the strictest regard to the 
principles of justice. Of this we have two remarkable in- 
stances. 

* Josh. v. 13—15. f Rev. xix. 10. i 1 Kings xvi. 34- 



£22 SCRIPTURE BIOGRAFHF. 

At the siege of Jericho the people were strictly command- 
«d not to meddle with u the accursed thing," or to take 
any part of the spoils which were condemned to be destroy- 
ed, lest they should thereby contract a love for the Canaanit- 
ish customs. Contrary to this prohibition, Achan, a man 
of rank, secreted a quantity of the goods taken in the city, 
for which, the anger of the Lord rose against Israel, and they 
were repulsed in their attack upon the city of Ai. Joshua, 
on discovering the cause of this disaster, dealt with Achan 
in such gentle terms, as to gain from him an ingenuous con- 
fession of his guilt. For this the offender and his family 
were cut off from Israel, as a terrible example, which doubt- 
less at that crisis was considered as indispensibly necessa- 
ry. The other instance of Joshua's strict regard for justice 
was in the case of the Gibeonites. This people being greatly 
alarmed at the progress £>f Israel, and sensible that there was 
no chance of escaping that destruction which was about 
to fiil upon the nations in Canaan, sent a deputation to Jo- 
shua, pretending they came from a distant country, and 
courting his alliance. After some enquiry the heads of Is- 
rael were satisfied, and the proposed treaty was acceded to 
and confirmed. But when it was discovered that these peo- 
ple were near neighbours, the Israelites complained of the 
conduct of their princes, and expressed a desire to have the 
treaty annulled. Joshua, however, had too sacred a regard 
for public faith to violate the agreement he had entered into, 
even though the conduct of the Gibeonites was fraudulent. 
When the rest of the Canaanites heard of this alliance they 
were exceedingly provoked against Gibeon as an apostate 
nation, and declared war against it. Jcshua, on receiving 
information of this confederacy, marched to the assistance 
.of his allies, and defeated their enemies with prodigious 
slaughter. On this occasion a miracle happened which has 
given rise to many speculations, and been opposed by infi- 
dels with much parade of scientific skill. As the people 
were engaged in the pursuit of the Amorites, Joshua u said, 
Sin stand thou still upon Gibeon, and thou moon in the val- 
ley of Ajalon. And the sun stood still, and the moon stay- 
ed until the people had avenged themselves of their enemies* 
Is not this written in the book of Jasher, lo, the sun stood 
still in the midst of heaven, and passed not to go down about 
a whole day ? And there was no day like that before it or 
after it, that the Lord hearkened unto the voice of man : for 
the Lord fought for Israel."* 

* Josh. x. 12, 13, 14. 



JOSHUA. 223 

Joshua did not here speak as an astronomer, but according 
to popular conceptions, and popular language. The sun 
rises and the sun sets, is in such a sign, and has such a decli- 
nation, are still expressions commonly used among persons 
the best informed upon these subjects, because to appearance 
the sun has motion and the earth is stationary, contrary to 
to the real case. 

With respect to the truth of the miracle itself, no con- 
sistent objection can be made to it, if the possibility of mi- 
racles be once admitted. He who created these luminaries. 
can certainly stop the diurnal motion of the earth at his 
pleasure ; and the revolution of the celestial bodies itself is as 
much an act of divine power as the temporary suspension 
of that revolution would be. But the circumstance is strongly 
confirmed by a relation in the Chinese history, where we 
are informed that the sun remained stationary for ten days 
together in the meridian over that empire, in the sixty-se- 
venth year of the reign of their seventh emperor Yao. \\ hich 
corresponds most exactly with the very year when, according 
to the scripture account, this miracle happened in Palestine.* 

When the whole country was conquered Joshua made an 
exact and satisfactory division of it among the different 
tribes, reserving nothing for his own family. The people^ 
however, bestowed upon him Timnath-serah, and there he 
fixed his residence. 

A considerable outcry has been made by infidels upon 
the. destruction of the Canaanites, and Joshua has been re- 
presented by them as nothing better than a ferocious free- 
booter, without either justice or humanity. That the 
judgments of God were very heavy upon t thost people, there 
can be no question, but let it be remembered also that their 
iniquities were very heavy. From the time of Abraham, 
the cup of their wickedness had been filling to such a de- 
gree, that at last the divine vengeance could be restrain- 
ed no longer, and they were extirpated from the earth as 
abomination in the sight of God. In their calamity we 
see only what has happened to other nations, and as what 
really did happen in process of time to the Jews themselves*- 
The case of the Canaanites was not more fearful than that 
of the Jews when their capital fell into the hands of the 
Romans j and yet on the cruelty of Titus the accusers of 
Joshua are silent. 

* Se this subject well discussed in Bedford's Scripture Chronology* 
g. 489, and by father 'Calmct, jn bis dictionary of the Bible. 



224 SCRIPTURE BIOGRAPHY. 

The Israelitish general acted in direct obedience of a po* 
skive command given to him by the Almighty governor of 
the universe ; but the Romans could plead no such precept, 
though there can be no doubt of their being the instruments 
of divine justice to punish a guilty land. 

The remainder of Joshua's life was spent in the bosom of 
domestic tranquillity. He descended into the evening of 
his days, with the calm satisfaction of having discharged 
his public duties in such a manner as to procure the grati- 
tude of a whole nation, and above all, the approbation of 
his God. His friends and domestics were numerous, af- 
fectionate, and religious. He saw the public tranquillity 
secured, the enemies of Israel cut off on all sides, and the 
divine promises most gloriously accomplished. 

Perceiving his dissolution drawing near, he convened the 
people, and addressed them with aU that warmth of affec- 
tion, and gjnerous concern for their prosperity, which a ten- 
der father may be supposed to feel for his offspring in his 
expiring moments. 

He reminds them of what God had done for their an- 
cestors and for them, of the wonderful acts which the di- 
vine arm had wrought on their behalf, the signal victories 
which they had thereby obtained over their foes, and the 
gracious fulfilment of the divine promise in establishing 
them in Canaan. He then with great earnestness presses 
upon them their gratitude to God, and the obligation they 
lay under to preserve the true faith and worship inviolate, 
by keeping at the remotest distance from the idolatrous 
practices of their neighbours. At the same time adding his 
own resolution, that let their determination be what it 
would, " he and his household would serve the Lord."* 

He promises in an authoritative manner, as the prophet 
of the Most High, eminent privileges and blessings to those 
who should continue obedient to the statutes and ordinances 
they had received from Moses ; and fearful judgments upon, 
the violators of them. The people were greatly affected 
with this valedictory address of their venerable leader, and 
exclaimed with eagerness, " The Lord our God will we 
serve, and his voice will we obey." The covenant was 
then renewed with great solemnity, and Joshua having dis- 
charged this last public act retired to his house where he 
soon after met death with the serene composure of a reli- 

* Josh. sjiv. 15. 



joshua; 225 

gious hero, at the advanced age of one hundred and ten 

years. 

" The memory of Joshua and of his victories was long 
preserv ed, and his reputation spread among the heathen na- 
tions He is generally considered as the original of the 
Phoenician Hercules ; and the scene of his victories, as well 
as the conquests themselves, is still discernable in the dis- 
figured accounts which are given concerning that fictious 
hero. It has been collected from monuments still extant, 
that the Carthagenians were a colony of the T\rians\vho 
fled from the exterminating sword of Joshua, as also that the 
inhabitants of Leptis, in Africa, were primarily derived 
from Zidonians, who had been compelled to forsake their 
country in consequence of calamities brought upon it by 
the conquests of this great commander."* 

Joshua had the distinguished honour of being the first who 
bore the name which was to be assumed by the Redeemer 
of the world, and he resembled also that glorious person in 
his actions. " As Joshua brought the good report, and 
evangelized concerning the promised land (when false or 
faint enquirers defamed it, and discouraged the people from 
entering,) as he was educated under Moses, and served him 
faithfully ; as he succeeded in the administraion and go- 
vernment of God's people, perfecting what Moses had be- 
gun of deliverance and settlement to them ; as he brought 
the Israelites (not that old disbelieving, mutinous, and re- 
pining generation, but a new proginy of better disposed 
peopU) finally out of the wilderness into Canaan, by God's 
miraculous assistance, subduing their enemies, and establish- 
ing them in a quiet possession of the promised land, allotting 
unto each tribe its inheritance ; and as he did recircumcise 
the children of Israel : so did our heavenly Jesus first make 
a true and faithful discovery concerning the mystical land of 
promise (that better country flowing with spiritual milk and 
honey, abounding with all spiritual comforts andpleasures, 
for the food, sustenance, and refreshment of our souls.) 
He was born under the law, and submittted to its injunctions, 
fulfilling all righteousness. He survived it, that part of it 
which was purely Mosaical and arbitrary, and did complete 
it. He doth conduct God's regenerate people (such as 
believe and willingly follow him,) out u of the desert state 
of error, guilt, and sin, into the superior state of happy rest 

* Gray's Key to the Old Testament, p. 148, 
2 V 



2£S SCRIPTURE BIOGRAPHY. 

and joy, with miraculous power and efficacy ; vanquishing 
all the spiritual Amorites (the devil y world-, and flesh') which 
infest, obstruct, and oppose them ; settling them in a per- 
petual, undisturbed, and immoveable enjoyment of that 
blissful region ; having also by a spiritual circumcision pre- 
pared and consecrated them to God. Our Saviour there- 
fore not only when he at last, in fulness of time, did coi.ie 
into the world, but anciently in type and shadow may be 
supposed to have received this name Jesus conferred upon 
him in the person of Joshua, his most illustrious repre- 
sentative."* 

* Dr. Barrow's Sermons on. the Creed, vol. v. p, 378. Edinburgh 
Edition, 1751,. 12m.o, 



' ( 227 ) 
RUTH. /2 /^e-*. 

Lived about the Tear of the World 276$. 

THE importance of the female character in society is far 
greater than men, in general, seem willing to admit. 
The infant mind receives its first bias, its information, 
and its moulding from maternal care and instruction. — 
What then could be expected of a generation springing 
from libertine females ? A woman void of religious prin- 
ciples will have but little disposition to inculcate those 
principles into the minds of her children ; and should she 
permit them for the sake of form, to be taught the rudi- 
ments of Christianity, her own practice would soon obli tar- 
rate the faint ou line which has been drawn, and from her 
example they will It am, as they grow older, to despise the 
lessons of piety as trifles only calculated for the school or 
the nursery. 

Such a character is no less shocking than it is, as we 
would charitablv hope, infrequent : but that it may never 
become a common one, it is indispensibly requisite that the 
utmost care be taken of the education of females. In an 
age of levity, scepticism, and pride, when to profess deism, 
if not indeed a darker species of infidelity, is reckoned a 
proof of superior sagacity and mental energy, too great an 
attention cannot be paid to the cultivation of the female 
mind. Those false pictures of life which are exhibited in 
romantic tales, and frivolous novels, are only apologies for 
the worst of vices, and have a direct tendency to eradicate 
the principles of religion from the mind, by weakening the 
influence of its precepts. In these productions, and also in 
the memoirs of certain female writers, crimes which once 
were regarded with horror as the bane of civil society, are 
blandished over, and even made the subject of boast. The 
most ancient and sacred of all contracts is set at nought, 
and treated as a badge of superstition and slavery. The re- 
presentation of the death-beds of these heroines, is not the 
affecting and instructive picture of penitence, but the me- 
lancholy exhibition of insensibility. For this delineation, 
indeed, we are indebted only to the story-teller ; but if the 
subject really had an existence, it is most probable that the 
truth has nor been told Some, indeed, in writing the lives 
of real characters, seem to take a pride in telling us that 



228 SCRIPTURE BIOGRAPHY. 

they despised religion ; but it should also be observed, that 
these same biographers have had the honesty to tell us that 
thev set at nought the precepts of moral obligation. 

[would not, however, wish to depreciate the genius or 
the judgment of women. There are instances innumerable 
of their profound sagacity, brilliant imagination, amazing for- 
titude, quickness of perception, and strength of intellect. 
Bat it will always be allowed by the judicious part of man- 
kind, that the most valuable graces of the female character, 
are meekness, humility, and modesty ; none of which can 
reasonable be expected where religion is not the ruling 
principle. * 

The scripture history furnishes us with several instances 
of female excellence, some of which have been already no- 
ticed, and others lie before us Our attention at present 
is called to the story of an amiable woman who may justly 
be said u to have forsaken all for Christ," in an age when 
the strongest eye of faith could barely discern him as a 
glimmering star at a great distance. But she had the honour 
for her faithfulness to become the mother of princes, and to 
have her name immortalized in the genealogy of the King of 
Righteousness. 

The conversion of ruth, the Moabitess, forms an entire 
book in the sacred canon, and that of moment as complet- 
ing the book of Judges, and making a part of the genalo- 
gical history of the Messiah The author of it is generally 
allowed to be Samuel : but as to the period when the events 
recorded in it happened there are different opinions. Some 
with great probability, place the famine mentioned in the 
first chapter, in the time of Gideon, but others carry it 
much farther back. One reason why commentators have 
perplexed themselves so much upon this point, is, that St. 
Matthew mentions Boaz as being the son of Rachab, whom 
th. v will have to be the woman of Jericho, who hid the 
Hebrew spies. But for this there does not seem to be any 
soiid ground, since the Apostle; does not spell the name in 
the same manner as the Septuagint, St. Paul, and St. ■ James 
do ; therefore 1 see no reason why Rachab and Rahab may 

* I shall stand in no need of excuse for recommending to the perusal of 
my fair readers ttm invaluable book written by Miss Hannah More, enti- 
tuled " strictures on female education/' a work which will live 
an ' be read ,vdth pleasure and profit, when the pert productions of mo- 
dem novelists ajjd philosopbists are sunk into eternal darkness. 



RUTH. 229 

not be two different persons. Besides, Boaz was the 
great grandfather of David, who was horn in 2-919 ; of 
coarse b) placing the sera of this book so far back, the im- 
mediate progenitors of that monarch must have lived to a 
far greater age than was usual at that period. It is merely 
recorded by the sacred writer, that the famine happened 
when the Judges ruled ; and if it was that which occurred 
in the time ol Gdeoa, the sera is fixed at about the year of 
the w oriel 2?59. 

The narrauve itself is very affecting, and presents a beau- 
tiful picture of the simple manners of antiquity. 

Etimelech was a person of considerable distinction in 
B f.iilehem-Judah ; in a time oi great scarcity he was obliged 
to dispose of his patrimonial estate, and to gu with his family 
into the land oi Moab. This was not merely a country of 
streamers, but of enemies, for the Moabites had a rooted an- 
imosity against Israel ; but the over-ruling providence of 
God pro\ iies an asylum for his servants even amongst their 
most inveterate toes. 

Here the good man ended his days, and left two sons 
Mahlon and Cnilion, to be the protectors of their aged mo- 
ther, Naomi. No sooner were these youths arrived at 
mai\'s estate, than they took wives from among the daugh- 
ters of iVJoab. Whether their conduct was offensive to the 
Almighty is not hinted at in the scripture ; but as they were 
swept off childless, and in the prime of life, some divines 
have conjectured that their immature deaths proceeded from 
the divine displeasure. 

Naomi, on being deprived of her earthly comforts, turn- 
ed her sorrowful eyes towards the land of her nativity. She is 
now set a drift to the mercy of the world, without a husband, 
-without children, and reduced to want. In this condition 
she hears that the Lord has visited his people with bread ; 
and she resolves to return to her country and her kindred. 
The journey was long and difficult, not less than one hundred 
and twenty miles, and part ot the way was mountainous. — 
It was an arduous task, therefore, for an aged female to un- 
dertake, without a guide, and without the means of pro- 
curing the necessaries of life. But Naomi 13 bent upon the 
journey ; and the hope of seeing her native spot once more, 
give > her confidence, and makes her fearless of all dangers 
that may occur in the way. 

While her husband and sons were living, we do not read 



2S© SCRIPTURE BIOGRAPHY. 

-of any plan of returning to Judah ; but when her friends 
and property were gone, then Naomi felt her isolated con- 
dition, and turned her thoughts towards home. 

H tpnv will it be for us also, if the loss of relatives, or 
any other visitation of Providence, has this effect of wean- 
ing our minds and affections from this world, and of fixing 
them upon the Jerusalem which is above. 

Naomi no sooner forms her determination than she puts 
it into execution. There can be no time for deliberation in 
her condition. She had no property to dipose of, no friends 
to consult, nothing in fact to take witn her on this long jour- 
ney. But so amiable and endearing was her character, so 
truly did h-r disposition comport with her name of Nao. i, 
or u my pleasant one," that her two daughters-in-law, Or- 
pha and Ruth; were ready to forsake their country and their 
inends to accompany her. When they had proceeded part 
oi tne nay, the good woman earnestly entreated them to re- 
tun, expressing her grateful acknowlegements for ail the 
kindness vhich they had shewn unto her deceased children 
a 1 to h-rself. After many importunities Orpha was pre- 
vailed upon to go back to her relations ; but the attachment of 
Ruth to Naojjpi was indelible, and in the emphatic language 
of scripture fcv she clave unto her."* 

Nao ni. no.vever, was unwilling to draw an amiable 
young creature from the fostering wing of her own mother, 
and from the com forts of her native country, to endure 
poverty and distress in a land of strangers. She, therefore, 
urged her earnestly to follow the example of Orpha, and 
mentioned one circumstance which appears plainly to have 
touched the true strings of Ruth's attachment : " She is gone 
back unto her Gods," says Naomi, 4 * therefore return thou 
after thy sister-in-law." This, at once, fixes the resolution 
of Ruth, and with a noble earnestness she replies, M En- 
treat me not to leave thee, or to return from following alter 
thee ; for whither thou goest, I will go ; and where thou 
kxlgest, I will lodge : thy people shall be my people, and 
thv God my God Wnere thou diest will I die, and there 
will I be buried : the Lord do so to me, and more also if 
ought but death part thee and me. "7 

Religion was at the root of Ruth's attachment. She loved 
Naomi, because she loved the God in whom Naomi be- 
lieved, and whom she worshipped. She was therefore, de- 

* Eat!) i. 14. f Chap. i. 16, it. 



RUTH. 231 

termined to cast in her. lot with the Lord's inheritance, and 
with cheerfulness did she renounce kk father and mother, and 
house, and lands," and all that she had or could expect in 
.Moab, for the sake of the kingdom of Heaven. 

Before her, what appeared but penury and want, and la- 
bour, among a people who probably would look upon her 
with contempt — behind her, when kind and affectionate 
friends, ease, and comfort, and perhaps an honourable alli- 
ance ; — but then the " Gods of Moab" were dumb idols, 
or destructive devils, and the God of Israel was the foun- 
tain of life and happiness. 

This consideration decided the choice of Ruth, and she 
resolved to u cleave unto Naomi," regardless of all the dis- 
tress which might be the consequence of it. 

In the conduct of Ruth we behold an example which we 
are expressly called upon to imitate by our Redeemer, if we 
would enter into his rest. When the world, with its honours 
and delights, its fair prospects and allurements, and when 
the solicitations of friends, and the calls even of nature it- 
self endeavour to keep us back from the path of holiness, 
the alternative is death or life. By retreating we are lost T 
bv the pursuit we shall obtain honour and immortality. — 
The firm and decided tone of Ruth silenced the tongue of 
Naomi ; and, doubtless, kindled in her heart the most 
lively admiration and gratitude. The poor pilgrims pro- 
ceeded on lovingly together, and the good providence of 
God brought them safely to Btthlehem-judah. An absence of 
ten years must necessarily have made some alteration in the 
person of Naomi ; but her sorrows had been of no ordinary 
magnitude, and the iron hand of affliction had made such 
deep ravages in her countenance as to excite the sympathetic 
astonishment of her old acquaintance. 

" Is this Naomi ?" Exclaimed the inhabitants of Bethle- 
hem, as they crowded round her. The question recalled to 
the memory of the good woman all her sufferings, and 
opened afresh all the wounds of her heart. When she quit- 
ted her native country, she possessed property, an affectionate 
husband, and promising children ; but now she is poor and 
friendless, a widow and childless. The transition was most 
affecting, and to be insensible under such an accumulation 
of woes, so far from arguing religions fortitude, would have 
betrayed sullen indifference, and a callous stubbornness of 
heart. 



239 SCRIPTURE BIOGRAPHY. 

The braised reed will sigh as it bends submissively to the 
divine will ; and its complainings will excite the tender 
compassion of God, while the intractable and unfeeling can 
be brought low only by the fierceness of his anger. 

Naomi blends with her moaning the sentiments of piety, 
and acknowleges her afflictions as the visitation of the Al- 
mighty. " And she said unto them call me not Naomi, 
call me Marah ; for the Almighty hath dealt very bitterly 
with me. I went out full, and the Lord hath brought me 
home again empty : why then call ye me Naomi, seeing 
the Lord hath testified against me, and the Almighty hath 
afflicted me ?"* 

The following reflection of a pious writer upon this pas- 
sage is most excellent. 

" She that had lost all things but her name, is willing to 
part with that also : Call me not Naomi, but call me Marah, 
Her humility cares little for a glorious name, in a dejected 
state. Many a one would have set faces upon their want, 
and in the bitterness of their condition, have affrcted the 
name of beauty. In all forms of good, there are more that 
care to seem than to be : Naomi hates this hypocrisy, and 
since God hath humbled her, desires not to be respected of 
men. Those which are truly brought down, make it not 
daintv that the world should think them so ; but are ready 
to be the first proclaimers of their own vi1eness."j 

Though Naomi arrived in safety at her native city, and 
though she was recognized by numbers of her former ac- 
quaintance, yet we do not find that any acts of benevolence 
were shewn her by them. They could express, indeed, a 
kind of sympathetic concern at her altered condition ; but 
when she told them her tale of woe, we read not of anv at- 
tempt made to pour balm into her wounded heart. None 
opened their doors to admit the weary and afflicted travellers ; 
none, that we read of, administered to their wants. Her re- 
turn excited curiosity and some degree of compassion, and 
that was all. 

it was now the time of barley-harvest, the season of joy 
and festivity, in which we should expect that grateful man 
would imitate the beneficence of his maker, and having him- 
self freely received, be as ready and cheerful to give. But 
this was not the case. Naomi and her faithful daughter-in- 

* Ruth i. 19, 21. 
t Bishop Hall's Contemplation, vol. i. p. 994. ed. 1642. folio. 



RUTH. 23a 

law were suffered, after having satisfied the idle curiosity of 
the Bethlehemites, to retire to an obscure cottage without 
any thing to support them. Providence, however, which 
has guided the friendless widows home for a wise and graci- 
ous purpose, is now about to bring them through the low 
and painful valley of adversity to ease and honour. 

The Almighty crowns the year with his goodnes, and his 
paths drop fatness ; they drop upon the pastures of the wil- 
derness ; and the little hills rejoice on every side. The pas- 
tures are cloathed with flocks ; the vailies also are covered 
over with corn ; they shout for joy, they also sing."* 

When he thus pours out his bounties upon the world, and 
the face of creation wears a glowing and smiling aspect ; 
what does he j require of man but cheerfulness, and gra- 
titude ? 

We are to rejoice in his gifts of providence and of grace, 
and when the heart is thus opened to a due sense of the 
divine goodness, it will be drawn out into the exercise of 
love and charity to those who are in need. If we are 
thoroughly impressed with gratitude to God for his benefits 
showered down upon ourselves, we shall be ready to shew it 
in acts of liberality to the children of poverty. 

But he has expressly enjoined in his law that the u joy of 
harvest" shall be thus manifested by the wealthy towards 
their indigent brethren. He has not left the duty of charity 
in the season of festivity to the common dictates of consci- 
ence, but has enforced it by a very explicit statute. *' When 
thou cuttest down thine harvest in thy field, and hast forgot 
a sheaf in the field, thou shalt not go again to fetch it : it 
shall be for the stranger, for the fatherless, and for the wi- 
dow ; that the Lord thy God may bless thee in all the work 
of thine hands. When thou beatest thine olive tree thou 
shah, not go over the boughs again, it shall be for the stran- 
ger, for the fatherless and for the widow. When thou 
gatherest the grapes of thy vineyard, thou shalt not glean it 
afterward : it shall be for the stranger, for the fatherless, and 
for the widow. And thou shalt remember that thou wast a 
bondman in the land of Egypt : therefore I command thee to 
do this thing.f 

Every particular of this compassionate edict manifests the 
divine- goodness. 

The persons who are to receive its benefits are not the idle 
and vagrant poor, but the friendless stranger, the desolate 

* Psalm Ixv. 1?, 13-. f Deut, xxiv, 19—22^ 

2 G 



234 SCRIPTURE BIOGRAPHT. 

orphan, and the afflicted widow. The grant which thus 
provides for the destitute, extends not only to the absolute 
necessaries of life, but also to " wine which gladdeth man's 
heart and to the oil which maketh hind of a cheerful coun- 
tenance." In dispensing these his gifts for the comfort and 
pleasure of man, the Almighty graciously ordains that the 
very poor shall be partakers of them The man of afflu- 
ence who has every thing at command, and every luxury 
within his reach, may think it improper to indulge the nee- 
dy with any thing more than is barely necessary to their sup- 
port. But the Lord who has made " the whole creation to 
sing", by the smiles of his countenance and by the bounties 
of his hand, \v r ill have the poor to partake of the general joy, 
by sharing in the blessings which he has bestowed. As a 
powerful reason for the discharge of this duty, the people are 
reminded of the wretched and destitute condition in which 
their fathers groaned in Egypt. In like manner the man who 
by the goodness of God has been brought from a low estate, 
to the possession of wealth, ought to have his mind posses- 
sed with a recollection of his origin, as an incentive to grat- 
itude, humility, and to charity. Has he been raised from a 
dunghill and set with princes, or, by the smile of heaven 
upon his industry, is- he placed in a state of independence, 
let him not forget that he once was poor, neither let him be 
so ungrateful to God as to shut his ear against the cries of the 
miserable. 

Methinks I see poor Naomi, and her faithful sympathiz- 
ing friend, in their wretched cottage, looking wistfully at 
each other, yet neither able to suggest any means to procure 
subsistence. Naomi has rich relations but they heed her not, 
and the rest of the Bethlehemites are too intent upon their 
own concerns to take any farther notice of her now she is re- 
duced to poverty. " To labour she cannot." for age und 
trouble, and fatigue have enfeebled her limbs, " to beg 
is ashamed." 

Here the benevolent statute which gives the poor a right 
to gather up what the wealthy have left, occurs to the mind 
of Ruth, and with much humility she solicits Naomi's per- 
mission to glean a few ears of corn after the reapers. She 
will not even undertake to do this lawful act which was for 
their mutual support without the consent of her mother-in- 
law. Every incident in the narrative and this in particular* 
gives this amiable female an inimitable grace. She is ready 
ito expose herself to the scorching rays of the meridian sun* 



' ( 239 ) 
SAMUEL. /2 /*£*"• 

Born about anno mundi 2848, died 294f. 

AMONG the ancient Israelites the want of children 
was considered as one of the sorest afflictions that 
could befall a married woman. The promise of the Mes- 
siah had such a strong influence upon their minds, that the 
desire of giving birth to the u Redeemer of his people," 
seemed to be a predominent principle in every female breast. 
Besides, it was aprevalent opinion that " children were an he- 
ritage that cometh from the Lord," and the encrease of a fa- 
mily called forth gratulation while the childless woman lay 
under reproach. This gave rise to a practice which, as it 
never had a divine sanction, so from its usual eflVcts it was 
evidently displeasing to the Almighty. In imitation of 
Abraham the Israelite, when he despaired of having chil- 
dren by his wife, was wont to have another ; but it is remark- 
able that in most of the cases of this sort recorded in scrips 
ture, the domestic harmony was broken, and the despised 
and rejected woman became at last the "joyful mother of 
children." The most eminent representatives of the Mes- 
siah as Isaac and Joseph, and Samson and Samuel, were the 
offspring of women, concerning whom there seemed to be 
no hope, and hereby " God intended to make that power 
known, by which the incarnation of the Redeemer and the 
fruitfulness of. his church, were to be effected in the latter 
days, when, according to St. Paul, the prophetical injunc- 
tion of Isaiah was obeyed : " Sing, O barren, thou that did6t 
not bear ; break forth into singing, and cry aloud, thou that 
didst not travel with child !* 

But though polygamy was not from the beginning and ne- 
ver had any encouragement from heaven, yet in ancient times 
many good men fell into the practice from too great a solici- 
tude to perpetuate their names in Israel. 

Elkauah, a wealthy Levite, of the city of Ephraim, had 
been married some years to Hannah, a woman of extraordi- 
nary humility and piety, without obtaining a child. The 
character of Elkanah was highly praise-worthy ; he served 
his God faithfully with all his house, and the misfortunes of 
his wife did not alienate his affections from her. But having 

* Isaiah liv. 1. Gal. iv. 27. Bishop Home'* considerations on th£ 
End death of Sti Johnflh? Baptist* p. 10. 



24© SCRIPTURE BIOGRAPHY. 

that desire of a family, which was common to every one of 
his nation, he adopted a method, which, as it had been 
done by the patriarchs, he conceived could not be wrong. 
He introduced another, or a subordinate wife, into his 
house, w ho brought him sons and daughters. In the joy of 
his heart Elkanah gave portions to these children, and to 
their mother Peninnah, but to.Hannah he gave " a worthy 
portion," for a more distinguished testimony of his love. 

This partiality of Elkanah seems to have roused the jea- 
lousy of Peninnah, and, as little mind* are always disposed 
to triumph over the misfortunes of those they hate, she re- 
proached Hannah with her infirmity, and provoked her by 
constant abuse. The good woman was greatly distressed by 
this base conduct of her rival, but we neither find that she 
made any reply to Peninnah, or uttered a single complaint 
to her husband. She wept, indeed, and could not eat. — 
Unjust revilings for unavoidable misfortunes cannot but af- 
fect the spirits of a meek and gentle female. The grief of 
Hannah was soon discerned by her affectionate husband, 
who endeavoured to cheer her mind by the most endearing 
behaviour. 

It was the yearly custom of Elkanah to go up to the ta- 
bernacle of the Lord in Shiloh, with all his family, and to 
offer sacrifices. On one of these great solemnities Peninnah 
appears to have taken the ungenerous advantage of publicly 
offering insult to the dejected Hannah. The place and oc- 
casion should have called for compassion, amicable inter- 
course, and reciprocal good offices ; but this feast upon the 
sacrifice was a feast of strife, and the peace of Elkanah's fa- 
mily was rent in pieces by his imprudence in taking into it 
an unworthy woman, to the injury of one who possessed 
every virtue. Hannah murmured not, nor complained. She 
did not accuse her adversary to Elkanah, nor reproach El- 
kanah for his folly. She went and poured out the sorrow 
of her heart before the Lord in his sanctuary. 

Religious sincerity is not to be determined by the length 
©r the loudness of our devotions. The silent breathings of a 
contrite heart are more acceptable to him who seeth every 
desire, and marks the progress of every motive in the soul 
of man, than the noisy and verbose prayers of the phari- 
see. Poor Hannah prayed with earnestness, but her voice 
was not heard. The lips were seen to move, and her 
agitated couatenan.ee betrayed the emotions of her mind» 



SAMUEL 841 

Bat to shew how liable the best of men are to err in 
judging of others, the minister of God, who watched 
Hannah, thought she was intoxicated, and said, in a tone of 
severity, u How long will thou be drunken ? Put away thy 
wine from thee."* 

If the mind of Hannah was already depressed by afflic- 
tion, so heinous a charge pronounced by the high-p icst, 
must have encreased her sorrow. Some would have spurned 
at the accusation with an indignant pride ; but this placid 
spirit gently vindicated herself to Eli, and treated him with 
the greatest reverence. u No, my lord," says she, kl I am a 
woman of a sorrowful spirit ; I have drunk neither wine 
nor strong drink, but have poured out my soul before the 
Lord. Count not thine handmaid for a daughter of Belial ; 
for out of the abundance of my complaint and grief have I 
epoken hitherto." 

If a " soft answer turneth away wrath," the meek and 
pious replv of Hannah could not but remove the prejudice 
of Eli. He was convinced that he had judged too hastily of 
this good woman, and therefore he joined his supplication to 
her's, that the Lord would grant her desire. Hannah had 
made a solemn vow that if 'the Lord would bless her with a 
son, he should be devoted wholly unto his service. Her 
prayer was heard, and she bare a son, to whom she gave the 
name of Samuel, "because," says she, u I have asked him 
of the Lord." 

Elkanah continued his pious custom of going up at a 
stated period to the tabernacle of the Lord in Shiloh, but 
Hannah deferred accompanying him till the child should be 
weaned. It was not from a want of gratitude to the Al- 
mighty, or from an undue affection to her infant, that she 
neglected to attend the public service of the sanctuary. She 
considered the child as a trust committed to her by the 
Lord, and she was resolved not to leave him to the care of 
others. Rightly did this good woman consider that she was 
tulfilling her duty as much in Ramah as in Shiloh, while 
she was watching over the health and disposition of hei* 
child. She was determined to fulfil her vow ; and as Sa- 
muel must, in that case, necessarily be separated from her, 
she would carefully instil into his mind those principles of 
piety which were the most likely to preserve him from the 
contagion of evil examples, when he should be far removed 

v Sam. i. 14. 
3 H 



242 SCRIPTURE BIOGRAFHT. 

from her observation, Elkanah entirely acquiesced in the 
conduct of his beloved wife, and went up without her to 
the yearly sacrifice. But no sooner was Samuel weaned 
than this excellent parent became mindful of her vow ; and 
as she had received him from the Lord, to his service she 
was resolved he should be dedicated. It must have been 
some struggle between piety and affection to yield up her 
only child, the fruit of so many fervent desires and earnest 
prayers ; but Hannah was a woman of no common spirit. 
Though meek and gentle, her faith was firm and resolute. 
The vow which she made in Shiloh was remembered with a 
sacred regard - t and when the child was sufficiently grown, 
to be able to attend on the high-priest, she took him with 
her to Shiloh with the accustomed offerings. There she in- 
formed Eli, of what, perhaps, the old man had long since 
iorgotten, that she was the woman who at such a time had 
prayed with so much earnestness in that place ; that this 
child was the object of her desire, and that as she had vowed 
to devote him to the service of God> she was now come to 
fulfil her obligation. 

The high-priest cheerfully accepted a donation, which evi- 
dently came from the Almighty, " and the child ministered 
unto him." 

Instead of weeping and lamenting over her child at the- 
thoughts of parting from htm, Hannah broke out into a song 
of thanksgiving, which exhibits all the beauty of Hebrew 
poesy, and bears a strong affinity to that evangelical hyma 
which flowed from the lips of the huly Virgin at the concep- 
tion of the Messiah. 

The advantages of a pious education were never more 
strikingly displayed than in the case of Samuel. Hannah, 
who never had a child before, carefully attended to the first 
duty of a mother, in bringing him " up in the nurture and 
admonition of the Lord." Where there is but one it is too 
often spoiled by maternaHndulgence, and the evil humours 
of corrupt nature, from the want of early correction, be- 
come headstrong and unmanageable at a more advanced pe- 
riod. This was not the case here. Hannah, though of the 
sweetest disposition, would not suffer Samuel to be separated 
from her till she had well trained his opening mind to the 
pnciice of piety ; and well it was that she did so, for the 
sons of Eli vere by his indulgence, youths of the most pro- 
£igate characters. Their shameful conduct was offensive 



SAMUEL. .24* 

in the sight of all Israel ; and sheltering themselves under 
the high authority of their father, they were guilty of the 
•most heinous acts of" oppression and sacrilege. With t,uch. 
persons it was dangerous for a child so young as Samuel to 
associate, but his mind was seasoned with grace, and he grew 
up be tore the Lord. 

The privileges of Eli's sons were great, and their educa- 
tion, no doubt, had been liberal ; but the want of disipline 
was destructive of their principles, and his foolish indul- 
gence proved the source of their ruin and of his own. What 
a difference between the exalted, well informed high-priest, 
and the lowly, simple wife of Elkanah ! He, by his office, 
■ought to have paid the strictest regard to the morals and 
conduct of his sons, yet even when informed of their evil 
practices, he slightly chided them, but withheld that chas- 
tise nent which it became him to minister as the judge 
of Israel, and as the father of a family. Hannah, whose 
sphere of action and degree of knowlege were confined 
ivithin narrow limits, scrupulously fulfils her solemn vow, 
and is careful to prepare her Samuel for the service of the 
sanctuarv. The effects in both cases were natural. The 
sons of Eli plunged deeper into guilt, till at last they met 
with an untimely death, and hastened that of their father. — 
Samuel was soon distinguished by the highest marks of 
the divine favour, became the prophet of the IVlost High, 
and the judge of Israel, while his pious mother obtained 
more children to be the comfort of her old age, and had 
the satisfaction of seeing her son exalted in the favour of 
God and man. 

Once a year had Hannah the delightful gratification of 
embr&Sing her beloved child, when she went up with her 
husband to the public sacrifice in Shiloh, On these occasions 
it was her custom to " make him a little coat ;" and let 
not his simple circumstance be considered as beneath the 
pen of the historian, or as detracting from the gravity of 
sacred writ. This little coat, like that which Jacob gave to 
Joseph, was the effect of parental affection ; but this of Sa- 
muel is contemplated by us with more pleasure than that of 
the patriarch. His was not a gaudy vestment, calculated 
to excite vanity in his own mind, and envy in that of his 
brothers ; but it was merely a needful garment tO be worn 
on a solemn festival in his official capacity, as the attend- 
ant of the high-priest. With how much pleasing satis- 



244 SCRIPTURE BIOGRAPHY. 

faction did his pious mother work upon this u little coat, 5 * 
whicn was to adorn the person of her child, who was 
the gift and servant of God ! Many grateful reflections 
on the mercies she had experienced doubtless arose in 
her mind while she was thus employed, and many fond 
expectations did it produce of the future eminence of one 
who already gave sufficient promises of distinguished piety 
and usefulness. 

It must have been very delightful to Elkanah and his 
wife to hear the praises of their son, when they paid their 
customary visit to the holy place where he served. Nothing 
can equal the satisfaction which the pious parent expe- 
diences in finding his offspring, the object of so many cares" 
and supplications, walking in the way of holiness, and in- 
creasing in favour both " with the Lord and also with men."* 
Tie high-priest was exceedingly fond of Samuel, whose 
turn of mind exhibited an affecting contrast to that of his own 
children. He saw in this child the seeds of wisdom and vir- 
tue expanding into full bloom, and promising the highest 
advantages to the church of God. When, therefore, the 
parents of Samuel came up to Shiloh, the venerable man with 
great goodness of heart, " blessed them for the loan which 
they had lent unto the Lord," and prayed that Hannah might 
bear more children to Elkanah. The devout wish of Eli was 
answered, and this excellent woman became the mother of 
three more sons and two daughters. 

The high-priest was sincerely religious himself, but he 
wanted zeal and fortitude to correct abuses. He was well 
informed of the shameful conduct of his sons ; but instead 
of punishing them as the enormity of their crimes deserved, 
he contented himself with slightly reprimanding them. The 
rebukes of the aged are never respected by debauched liber- 
tines ; and Hophni and Phinehas, the sons of Eli, were 
young men of the most abandoned principles. Yet he suf-. 
fered them still to administer in sacred things, and by so 
doing, the solemn service of the sanctuary became of little 
esteem among the people. For this neglect of his duty as 
high-priest and judge of Israel, the anger of the Lord was 
kindled against Eli, and the divine displeasure was de- 
nounced against him by a prophet specially commissioned 
for the purpose. Notwithstanding this the indolent old 
man relapsed into his lethargy, and took little notice of the 

• Sam, ii. 26. 



SAMUEL. 245 

trying evils which called for the administration of justice. 
The sacred historian mioims us, " that the word of the 
Lord was precious in those days, for that there w as no open 
vision."* it was a time oi darkness and ignorance, and 
44 every one did that which was right in his own eyes." 
Let the public ministration be suspended, let religious in- 
struction be omitted, and the manners of a people will soon 
become grossly immoral. Those persons whose place it 
was to expound ihe law of God b their preaching, and to 
recommend it by the purity of their lives, were the most 
abominable violators of its sacred precepts, and in conse- 
quence " the word of the Lord was precious, or but little 
known in those days." 

So deplorable was the condition of the Israelii ish church 
and nation when Samuel was called by the Almighty to de- 
liver his judgments to Eli. At the silent and solemn hour of 
midnight, when the lights of the temple were become dim, 
and all the Levites were sunk in a deep sleep, the voice of 
the Lord called upon Samuel. Eli has neglected to act for 
the honour of God as became his office, and therefore he 
must receive his sentence from the mouth of a child. Sa- 
muel, on hearing the voice, starts from his couch, and runs 
to the chamber of the high-priest, saying, " Here am I." 
He had so habituated himselt to obedience, that though he 
lav at a distance from Eli, he ran instantly at the call, and re- 
peated it three times, declaring constantly that he must have 
been called by him. Eli, surprized at the diligence of his 
servant, began to think there must be something more than 
human in the circumstance, and therefore told him to lie 
down again, and when he heard the voice to say, " Speak, 
Lord, for thy servant heareth." Samuel did as he was in- 
structed ; and the Lord declared to him the terrible things 
wliich should speedily befall Eli and his familv. The youth 
was not willing to wound the feelings of his aged lord, by 
revealing unto him the message he had received. His mo- 
desty, piety, and affection are admirably displayed in the 
whole of this awful transaction. He arose in the morning, 
opened the doors of the temple, and went about his ordina- 
ry business, like a faithful servant, no w ay related at the dis- 
tinguished honour which had been conferred upon him, or 
officiously zealous to relate the particulars to Eli. But the 
old man was convinced that Samuel had been favoured with 
a divine communication, and his misgiving heart foreboded 

• Sam. Hi. 1. 



246 SCRIPTURE BIOGRAPHY. 

that he had a deep interest in the message which had beeit 
delivered. He therefore calied the youth to him, and in a 
solemn but affectionate manner adjured him to declare all 
that he had heard. Samuel, without any prevarication re- 
lated every part of the divine message, which Eii heard 
with patient attention, and then me kiy exclaimed, " It is 
the Lord, let him do what secmeth him good." 

All the words of Samuel were literally accomplished. A 
war oro<e out between Israel and the Philistines, in which 
the former were defeated, the ark of the Lord was captured, 
Hjphni and Phinehas fell among the slain, and Eli, on hear- 
ing ; of this disaster, fell from his seat, and expired imme- 
diately. 

The fame oi Samuel was now spread throughout all Israel, 
an 1 he was universally acknowleged as a prophet of the 
Lord But it was a ti ne of great degeneracy, and many- 
years elapsed before this eminent man could effect an entire 
reformation. At length his unwearied labours btgan to 
prosper, and he hdd the satisfaction to see a general spirit of 
rerientencs prevail among the people. 

A general assembly of the elders of Israel was convened at 
Mizpeh, where all the superstitious relics of idolatry were re- 
nounced, the worship of Jehovah was restored, and Samuel 
publicly acknowleged as the judge of Israel. 

The divine favour now shone once more upon this people, 
and they succeeded in repeling the insults of their neigh- 
bours, the Philistines, who were the most potent of all their 
enemies. 

Samuel resided at his patrimonial house in Ramah, but 
he made a regular circuit once a year throughout Israel, for 
the purpose of administering justice . But when the infirmi- 
ties of old age seem to have rendered this annual progress 
too burthensome, he appointed his two sons to act in his 
stead, as the judges of Israel. 

In this act Samuel appears to have consulted his own in- 
clination and partiality rather than the divine will. The of- 
fice which he filled was of the highest importance, and re- 
quired as much integrity as ability ; but whatever might be 
the talents of these young men their principles were bad. It 
was an imprudent act of indulgence in their father to vest 
them with an authority which was easily to be abused, and 
which exposed those who enjoyed it to many strong tempta- 
tions. The stream of justice was soon polluted by bribery 



samuel; m 

and extortion; and so flagrant was the wickedness of Sa- 
muel's sons, that the elders of Israel came to a resulution of 
changing their form of government. They waited upon the 
aged prophet, and, after setting before him the bad conduct 
of his sons, desired him to u make them a king, that they 
might be like other nations."* 

A public spirit of dissatisfaction at the conduct of rulers 
generally produces a dislike of all their connections. But 
this was not the case here ; though the elders of Israel wtre 
highly offended, and that justly, with the behaviour of Sa- 
muel's sons, they had the profoundest reverence for the pro- 
phet himself. The language of their complaint is an hon- 
ourable encomium upon the character of this holy man, and 
a full expression of the people's regard for him. * " Behold 
thou art old," say they, " and thy sons walk not in thy ways."' 

While Samuel was in his full strength, and capable of exer- 
cising the duties of his office the people were satisfied under 
his government, because they were conscious of his integri- 
ty ; and had his sons pursued his steps, it is not probable that 
the people would have wished for a change. But Samuel 
conceived that this application was an affront to himself, and 
therefore he was displeased with the request which was made 
by the elders. This, however, did not prevent him from 
consulting the divine direction* Human frailty will some 
times incline the best of men to resent an injury, but a 
thorough sense of duty will always lead them to the throne 
of grace for counsel. The answer which Samuel received 
was different, perhaps, from what he expected; for he evi- 
dently appears to have considered the wish of the people as 
peculiarly offensive to the Almighty. The good man was 
offended at their treatment of himself and his family, and he 
imagined that in so doing he was merely jealous for the di- 
vine honour. But the answer which he received was calca- 
lated to convince him that he had too much concern about 
his own honour, for he was commanded to comply with the 
application which had been made. a They have not reject- 
ed thee," says the Lord, u but they have rejected me " 

At the command of God the prophet anointed Saul to be 
king over Israel ; and this he did with a most ready sub- 
mission, for no man was ever more prompt to obey the 
word of the Lord than Samuel " from his youth up " 
When Saul was consecrated, the man of God collected the 

* 1 Sam. riii' 5. 



248 SCRIPTURE BIOGRAPHY. 

statutes for the government of the kingdom into a book, 
and laid the same up before the Lord : after which, on re- 
signing his judicial authority, he made this affecting decla- 
ration to the people : " Behold, I have hearkened unto your 
voice in alt that ye said unto me, and have made a king over 
you. And now behold the king walketh before you ; and 
I am old and gray headed, and behold my sons are with 
you, and I have talked before you from my childhood unto 
this lav. Behold, here I am : witness against me before 
the Lord, and before his anointed, whose ox have I taken ? 
Or whose ass have I taken ? Or whom have I defrauded ? 
whom have I oppressed ? Or of whose hand have I received 
any bribe to blind my eyes therewith, and I will restore it 
you." What a noble challenge on laying down so re- 
sponsible an office, and how becoming an upright magis- 
trate ! But Samuel spoke the language of conscious inno- 
cence, not that of petulent ostentation. The people stood 
abashed before their venerable leader, and, when he had 
ended, they replied, u Thou hast not defrauded us, neither 
hast thou taken ought of anv man's hand." The language 
of Samuel was dignified and just, that of the people was 
tender and grateful. Having thus engaged their confidence, 
the holy prophet delivered to them a solemn charge, in 
which he laid before them the signal mercies bestowed on 
their nation at various times, and their sinfulness in asking 
for a king, like the nations around them, when their theo- 
cratical government was the highest privilege they could 
possess. The words of Samuel made a deep impression upon 
his hearers, and they loudly acknowleged that they had 
been guilty of a great offence. When he had thus brought 
them to a penitent confession of their guilt, he began to ex- 
hort them to a careful obedience to the laws of God, ano* 
he encouraged them so to do by an assurance that " the 
Lord would not forsake them for his great name's sake,* 5 * 
*' because," says he, " it hath pleased the Lord to make 
you his people." He then concluded by expressing his 
tender regard for them, and his resolution of being always 
attentive to their welfare. 4 * Moreover, as for me, God 
forbid that I should sin against the Lord in ceasing to pray 
for you : but I will teach you the good and the right way.— 
Only fear the Lord, and serve him in truth with all your 
heart : for consider how great things he hath done for you 



SAMUEL. 249 

But if ye shall still do wickedly, ye shall be consumed both 
ye and your king."* 

Thus d'r I Sanuel retire from his public station as a ma- 
gistrate, but still retaining his sacerdotal authority, by virtue 
of which he denounced the judgments of the Lord against 
Saul for various offences. 

When Saul disobeyed the divine command in saving 
Agag, king of the Amalekites, with a considerable part of 
the spoil, Samuel resumed even the regal power, and, after 
sharply reprehending the monarch for his conduct, proceed- 
ed to execute the will of the Almighty. This was one of 
those extraordinary actions which, as resulting from a par- 
ticular commission of Jehovah, is neither to be censured nor 
to be imitated. He who commanded the act cannot do 
wrong or empower another to do it ; but what was then 
done by virtue of his immediate injunction is not to be 
drawn into a precedent. From that time Samuel saw not 
the apostate king of Israel any more, but it is related that 
he kt mourned for him." The sins of others especially of 
those from whom the most exemplary conduct is expected, 
always affect the righteous with, sorrow. They are grieved 
that the honour of God is injured, and their compassion 
for the souls ot their fellow-creatures fills them with con- 
cern at their inconsiderate conduct. The Lord having re- 
jected Saul, commanded Samuel to anoint David, the son 
of Jesse, king over Israel. The prophet still retained some 
regard for the man whom he had consecrated, and was re- 
luctant to obev the divine injunction. Pie had besides some 
fear that Saul's anger would provoke him to take away his 
life. An apprehension which is rather surprizing, consi- 
dering the boldness with which this good man had re- 
peatedly rebuked the king in the sight of all Israel. But 
the most intrepid servants of the Most High have their fits 
of infirmity and unbelief; and even holy Samuel, who 
could in his old age, before a haughty monarch and a vic- 
torious army, destroy all their spoils, was afraid to obey the 
command of God, lest he should encounter the vengeance 
of man. 

The Almighty regarded not the querulous objection of 
his servant, but repeated his injunction, and Samuel went 
as he was directed. When he came to the house oi Jesse 
he offered a solemn sacrifice ; and on seeing Eliab the eldest 

* 1 Sam. xii. 20—25 
2 I 



250 SCRIPTURE BIOGRAPHY 

son, who was tall, and of a good countenance, he imme- 
diately concluded that this was the chosen person ; but the 
Lord said to him, "Look not on his countenance, or on 
the height of his stature, because 1 have refused him : for 
the Lord seeth not as man seeth ; for man looketh on the 
outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart." 
Seven more sons did Jesse cause to pass before the prophet, 
but neither of them was accepted - r on which he asked if 
these were all his children. Being told that the youngest 
was keeping sheep, he ordered him to be sent for ; and 
when he arrived the man of God " took the horn of oil, 
and anointed him in the midstof his brethren." 

Having thus discharged this important commission, Sa* 
muel returned to Ramah, where he continued till his death, 
which happened in the year of the world 2947. 

He had enjoyed throughout his long life the confidence 
and affection of his countrymen ; for they were convinced 
of the uprightness of his heart and the sanctity of his life* 
All his actions manifested that a regard for the public good 
and for the honour of God was the ruling principle of his 
mind. He was sanctified from the womb, and his earliest 
years were devoted to the service of the Lord. Religion 
took possession of his heart and affections even in childhood, 
and procured him the favour of God and man. This car- 
ried him through his public offices with an unblemished re- 
putation, and enabled him to lay down the judicial autho- 
rity with conscious boldness, and secured to him not only 
inward peace and satisfaction, but the universal applause 
and gratitude of his countrymen. When he died, all Israel 
46 were gathered together and lamented him,"* considering 
his loss as that of their common father. His remains were 
embalmed by the affectionate tears of a whole nation, and 
his example is recorded as a model for imitation to all gen- 
erations. 

Samuel instituted those schools of the prophets, which 
were designed to maintain a succession of proper persons for 
the instruction of the people. He was the first president of 
this seminary, and therefore in the New Testament he is 
spoken of as the beginning of this succession of prophets, 
which lasted till the time of Malichi : u and all the prophets 
from Samuel, and those tnat follow after, as many as have 
spoken, have foretold of these days."f 

* 1 S^m. xir. X, f Acts iu, £4, 



( 251 ) 

DAVID. 3%/>~3" 

Born anno mundi, 2919 ; died 2989. 

THE characters of the most distinguished persons record- 
ed in the Bible are represented with a scrupulous regard 
to truth, and their actions are related with a simple exact- 
ness, which shews that there could be no design to disguise 
th< ir failings or to exaggerate their virtues. This is more 
than can be said of any other history ancient or modern. — 
All Human writers have their paitialities and their prejudi- 
ces, aid the more they enter into their subject the more apt 
are they to be misled by their peculiar bias. But the sacred 
historians were under the immediate direction of the spirit 
of truth, and consequently they related facts as they really 
happened, and delineated characters as they truly were. 
This is the glory of the sacred scriptures that no artifice is 
made use of therein to conceal the imperfections, the follies, 
and the crimes of men, who in other respects are held up 
as objects of admiration, and who by their repentance, and 
faith, and piety, are set before us as examples for our imi- 
tation. Human nature is deeply depraved, and is contin- 
ually prone to evil. This is the prevailing doctrine of the 
Biblr, and it is incontestibly proved hy daily experience. 
The lives of the best men, therefore, must exhibit this 
feature of degradation, and the scriptures uniformly de- 
scribe them as u being of like passions with ourselves," as 
yielding sometimes to temptation, and as frequently falling 
Into error. Thus, in fact, w T hat inconsiderate sceptics 
have made a matter of objection to the holy volume con- 
stitutes one of its prime excellencies ; for if the patriarchs, 
and kings, and prophets, and apostles, had been describ- 
ed as without failings, doubts would justly have been 
raised of the veracity of their historians. As it is we are 
furnished with a proof of no small force, that " all scripture 
has been given by inspiration of God, and is profitable 
for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in 
righteousness."* 

These remarks are necessary to be well weighed and un- 
derstood, when we are employed in reading the lives of 
eminent scripture characters j and in none more than in 
considering the history of that illustrious prince who has 

* 2 Tim. ni. 16. 



25% SCRIPTURE BIOGRAPHY. 

been dignified with the appellation of " being the man after 
God's own heart." 

We have seen the Israelitish nation discontented with their 
peculiar form of government, and desiring a king, that they 
might resemble their neighbours. The Almighty attended 
to their request, and by his command Samuel the prophet 
consecrated Saul king over Israel. Thus the corrupt prin- 
ciples and practices of mankind are sometimes over-ruled 
by the sovereign disposer of events, to bring to pass his own 
wise and mysterious decrees. The Messiah was ordained 
to spring from the royal house of David, and the disquieted 
minds of Israel effect a change in the constitution which 
brings about the exaltation of the shepherd youth to the 
sceptre. 

Jesse, the father of David, was the grandson of Boaz 
and Ruth, whose history has already afforded us both en- 
tertainment and instruction. He was a wealthy man in 
Bethlehem, and had eight sons, of whom David was the 
youngest and the favourite. The elder sons of Jesse -were 
men of renown in the army of Saul, and the youngest 
was employed in keeping his father's sheep in Bethlehem, 
where his principal pleasure consisted in meditating upon 
the works of God, and in singing his praises to the melody 
of his harp. 

He was engaged in his pastoral occupation when Samuel 
came to his father's house to consecrate him, according to 
the divine command, king instead of Saul. Seven of Jesse's 
sons passed before the prophet, but he received no monition 
to perform the solemn ceremony upon either. This induced 
him to enquire, whether the Bethlehemite had no more 
children. On being informed that the youngest was in the 
field, he caused him to be sent for, and the instant he ap- 
peared Samuel took a horn of oil, and poured it upon his 
head in the presence of all his brethren. It is observable 
that Saul was consecrated with only a vial of oil. but when 
David was anointed, the prophet made use of a horn which 
held a greater quantity. May not this have been pre figura- 
tive to the super-eminent rank of David, and especially of 
him who was still more exalted, even " the true king of 
Zion, who was anointed with the oil of. gladness above 
his fellows ?" A horn was the striking emblem of power, 
and David obtained dominion ever ail his enemies, leaving 
his kingdom in a state of prosperity and peace. Thus also 



DAVID. 253 

is the spiritual David " a horn of salvation to his church," 
from whom she receives grace, strength, and everlasting 
security. 

From that time the spirit of the Lord rested upon David ; 
but the circumstance of his consecration was carefully con- 
cealed within che circle of his own family, lor in ail likeli- 
hood, his friends were apprehensive of experiencing the vetfJ 
gea^ce oi Saul, should he become acquainted with the action 
of Samuel. That monarch was now fallen into a gloomy 
and desponding state. The spirit of the Lord was gone 
from him ; and his conscience was disturbed with dismal re- 
flections and fearful apprehensions. A mind ill at ease, rr n- 
ders every person around him uncomfortable. Tie servants 
of Saul, lor their own sakes as much as for the sake of their 
master, began to devise methods to cure him of his melan- 
choly. That which first appeared to thtm as the most likely to 
answer the purpose was the power of music. There is some- 
thing soothing and tranquillizing in the strains of harmony ; 
and the attendants of Saul were in hopes that the skill of the 
minstrel would lull the agonies of his wounded mind. t The 
proposal was attended to, and a qualified person was ordered 
to be provided. David's abilities were known to one of the 
courtiers and his praises were reported in such strong terms, 
that a messenger was dispatched to Jesse with a request that 
his son might be sent to the king. David, accordingly, re- 
paired to court, where he rendered himself so acceptable to 
the afflicted monarch by his skill and amiable qualities, that 
another respectful message was sent to J\-sse, to desire leave 
for his son to continue. Thus did the gracious wisdom of 
God lead the future king of Israel to the royal palace, 
and introduce him to the heads of the nation, among whom 
he might acquire some of that knowlege in the ways of 
men, and in the arts of goverment, whichf though necessary 
could not be acquired on the solitary plains of lit thlehern. 

Saul it is said, loved David, and made him his armour- 
bearer. Courtly favour and elevated distinctions are apt to 
corrupt minds educated in privacy, and unused to the world. 
But the principles of piety had taken deep root in the heart 
of David; and the gaieties of a palace, honourable appoint- 
ments, and the smiles of a monarch, could not alineate his 
affections from his native home, or make him ashamed of his 
humble original. How long he continued at the court of 
Saul is not mentioned, for the scripture history passes over 



254 SCRIPTURE BIOGRAPHY. 

those periods of time which afford no incidents of public 
concern. With pleasure and admiration we behold this ami- 
able youth returned to his paternal mansion, and resuming 
his shepherd's crook. He readily quits the gaudy scenes of 
courtly grandeur, the frivolities and allurements incidental 
to such a situation, and in the very opening of life, when the 
passions are most liable to be captivated by false impressions, 
he returns to his fleecy charge, and on the plains of Bethle- 
hem sings the high praises of his God to the sound of the 
harp. From some of the psalms of this sweet singer of 
Israel, it is evident that the night season saw him thus em- 
ployed. In the stillness of the midnight hour, when all nature 
was hushed to repose, when not a wind rustled amidst the 
trees to disturb his thoughts, his soul was elevated to his 
Creator, and the moon and the stars were so many ascending 
steps which conducted him to the throne of God. At such 
a time it was that he breathed out this sublime and devout 
aspiration, " When 1 consider the heavens the work of thy 
lingers, the moon and the stars which thou hast ordained, 
what is man that thou art mindful of him ? — and the son of 
man that thou visitest him ? For thou hast made him a little 
lower than the angels, and hast crowned him with glory and 
honour."* Here one might imagine, that after contem- 
plating the stupendous works of God, the psalmist ends in 
admiring that exceeding grace which hath distinguished man 
above all other creatures, but an evangelical expositor assures 
us, that the divine composer had a higher object in view ; 
and that in celebrating the supremacy of the son of man, 
David meant the Messiah who hath obtained the pre-emi- 
nence over ail created things, in heaven and upon earth. 

Thus in his juvenile days was David made to see and 
to predict the glories of his reign, whose type he was ordain- 
ed to be in many important respects. 

But we hasten now to one of the most distinguished 
events of his life. Not long after his return to Bethlehem, 
a war broke out between the Israelites and the Philistines. 
Saul, who seems in a great measure to have been relieved 
from his despondency, musters his forces and marches 
against the enemy. The contending armies encamped over 
against each other on the sides of opposite hills, watching a 
fit opportunity to begin an attack. While they lay in this 
position, neither of them willing to run the risk of an action, 

* Fsalm. six. 



DAVID. 25p 

i Philistine of extraordinary stature and strength, named 
Goliath, came into the plain that lay between the two armies, 
attended by his shield-bearer, and in a haughty tone demand- 
ed a champion to fight with, upon the condition that the na- 
tion to whom the vanquished belonged should become tribu- 
tary to the other. 

Fear and terror seized upon the Israelitish army, and not 
one among all its warriors would venture to encounter so for- 
midable a foe, though Saul had offered profuse riches, high 
distinctions, and even his own daughter to the man who 
should slay him. 

Every morning and evening, for forty days, did this arro- 
gant monster traverse the plain between the two armies, re- 
peating his challenge, and accompanying it with blasphemies 
and threats. Saul was despondent ; his soldiers partook of 
his dejection, and all Israel stood abashed in the presence of 
the giant. In this posture stood affairs when Jesse, whose 
three eldest sons accompanied Saul, sent David to the camp 
to enquire after their welfare, and to take them some neces- 
saries, together with a present for the captain of their com- 
pany. When the youth arrived he hastened to embrace his 
brethren, and while he was talking with them the champion 
of the Philistines drew near, on which the Israelites fled. — i 
This circumstance could not but interest the heroic youth. 
He was curious to know all the particulars j and while some 
of the soldiers were relating to him the high rewards which 
the king had offered to the man who should conquer him 
David betrayed the most lively emotions. He wondered 
that, amongst all the warriors of Israel, none was hardy 
enough to engage in so glorious an undertaking ; and he re- 
peated his enquires with an eagerness which gave great of- 
fence to Eiiab, his eldest brother, who reproved him in se- 
vere terms for " leaving his sheep and coming to the camp.'* 
David replied in a firm but respectful tone, " What have I 
now done ? — Is there not a cause .?"# Turning then from his 
brother he resumed the subject which had roused his feel- 
ings into heroic ardour, and having expressed his contempt 
of the uncircumcised Philistine in terms which plainly indi- 
cated that he was willing to encounter him, his words were 
reported to Saul. The king was curious to see this champion ; 
but when David appeared before him, he was astonished to 
behold a rustic lad without a weapon, when he had expected 

* 1 Sam. xr'ii. 29' 



25G SCRIPTURE BIOGRAPHY. 

to meet with a hardy veteran clad in armour. On being intro-* 
duced into the royal presence, David boldly expressed his 
resolution of " fighting with the Philistine ;" but Saul re- 
jected the off r, saying, thou art but a youth, and he a man 
of war from his youth." The observation of the king of Is- 
rael was reasonable according to human appearances and 
judgment, but David was actuated by another spirit, and 
knew that the hand of the Lord was with him. But to re- 
move the objection raised against him on account of his 
youth, he related an instance of his rescuing a lamb which 
had been tciken from his flock by a lion and a bear, and his 
slaying both those powerful animals. The manner in which 
he described this unequal contest, and the inference which 
he drew from it, ex.iibi*- unequalled modesty, piety, and 
intrepidity. u Thy servant slew both the lion and the bear, 
and tnis uncircumcised Philistine shall be as one of them, 
seeing he hath defied the armies of the living God. David 
said moreover, the Lord that delivered me out of the paw 
of the lion and out of the paw of the bear, he will deliver me 
ouj of the hand of this Philistine." 

The faith and resolution of the youth struck Saul with asto- 
nishment. He concluded that David was inspired with a di- 
vine courage, and he consented to his request. The royal 
armour was put upon the youthful hero, but finding it cum- 
brous he put it off, and resolved to trust to his sling and a 
stone. Choosing some pebbles from a brook, he put them 
in his shepherd's bag, and with his staff in his hand hasten- 
ed into the vallev to meet his formidable antagonist. As 
usual Goliath appeared, and being informed that a combat- 
ant awaited him, he looked around, but seeing only a ruddy 
boy without armour,, he exclaimed," am I a dog that thou 
comest to me with staves ? And he cursed David by his 
go is." The arrogant and presumptuous Philistine expected 
to meet with some hardy warrior with whom he might wage 
a glorious contest, what then must have been his mortifica- 
tion to be encountered by a shepherd's boy clad in a russet 
coat, and who had no warlike weapon in his hand ! Goliath 
concluded himself sure of a conquest, even though he should 
be aa.-.auited bv the most valliant of all the tribes, but this in- 
terview with David was a mockery which provoked his rage 
to blasphemy. After venting his impious execrations upon 
his } outhrul antagonist, he challenged him to approach with 
a terrific mesace j " Come to me," says he, " and I will give 



DAVID. 257 

thv flesh unto the fowls of the air and to the beasts of the 
field." The presumption of the giant proved his destruction. 
Hr could see no possibility of danger from a boy who had 
neither sword nor spear, and therefore he regarded him as a 
prey which he might destroy at his pleasure. David was un- 
moved by the appearance and menaces of his adversary. He 
replied to his blasphemous and arrogant challenge in thtse 
animated and prophetic terms : — u Thou comest to me 
with a sword, and with a spear, and with a shield, but I 
come to thee in the name of the Lord of Hosts, the God of 
the armies of Israel, whom thou hast defied. This day will 
the Lord deliver thee into mine hand, and I will smite thee, 
and take thine head from thee ; and I will give the carcases 
of the Philistines unto the fowls of the air, and to the wild 
beasts of the earth, that all the earth may know that there is 
a God in Israel. And all this assembly shall know that the 
Lord saveth not with sword and spear, for the battle is the 
Lord's, and he will give you into our hands." This decla- 
ration touched the pride of the Philistine to the quick, and 
instantly he hastened to crush the stripling to the earth ; 
David was equally eager ; the rival armies were looking on 
with anxious expectation, but the contest was soon termi- 
nated, for a stone slung by the hand of the shepherd youth, 
and guided by the power of Omnipotence, entered into the 
giant's forehead, and he fell prostrate upon the earth. Thus 
doth the great Ruler of the Universe frequently order events, 
that man may see and acknowlege a divine providence in 
all things, and that human might, wisdom, and contrivance^ 
are nothing when he is determined to level the haughty and 
to c-xalt the meek. 

The stidden and unexpected fall of Goliath struck a panic 
into the whole Philistine army, and they instantly fled : but 
in the pursuit which followed great numbers of them were 
slain. David, on returning from his victory, bearing the 
head of Goliath in his hand, was met by Abner, the Israel- 
itish general, who coi d acted him into the tent of Saul. — 
The king having enquired who he was, the youth modestly 
reolied, bi I am the son of thy servant Jesse, the Bethlehe- 
mke." It mav seem strange that Saul should so soon have for- 
gotten a vouth for whom he had expressed so much regard 
as to make him his armour-bearer. Hence some have conjec- 
tured that this transaction happened before David was called 
t© court, to sooth the discomposed spirits of the king by him 

3 K 



%59 SCRIPTURE BIOGRAPHY, 

skill on the harp. Tnis, however, is bv no means satisfac- 
tory ; for it is immediately said, that" Saul took him that 
day and would not let him go no more home to his father's 
house," which could not be true if that conjecture be ad- 
mitted. It seems most reasonable that the disorder under 
which Saul had laboured was of such a nature that when 
he recovered, the remembrance of what had happened was 
gone. Jn distractions of the brain this is not uncommon, 
and when the mental faculties are restored, all that has 
passed appears as a dream. Saul, therefore, might well have 
forgotten the person of David, even though the hurry of 
war had not contributed to destroy the remembrance of ? 
humble minstrel. 

While David stood before Saul he attracted the notice 
and admiration of Jonathan the son of the monarch. The 
courage, the modesty, and the arrriable demeanour of the 
gaiiant hero, won the heart of the prince, and from thar 
moment, in the beautiful language of scripture, u the soul of 
Jonathan vrzs knit with the sou! of David, and Jonathan 
loved him as his own soul."* 

The king of Israel could not but express his gratitude to 
one who had rendered him such an essential service, and he 
accordingly gave David a principal command in his army. 
But this favour lasied not long. When the army returned 
from their successful campaign against thePhilistir.es, the* 
were welcomed home by the women u out of all the cities 
of Israel, singing and dancing, with tabrets, with joy, and 
with instruments of music." In the chorus sung at this 
triumphal entry the women took delight in celebrating the 
name and exploits of the son of Jesse, and this they did in 
such terms as roused the envy and hatred of the king. " And 
the women answered one another as they played, and said, 
Saul has slain ins thousands, and David his ten thousands. r * 
This high flown strain of panegyric offended the monarch, 
but instead of imputing it to the fervid zeal of female ad- 
miration, he immediately conceived an implacable hatred 
against the person who was the subject of their praises. It 
grieved him to find that the people felt so much gratitude fc* 
David, as to exalt his exploit above the achievements of their 
monarch ; and he began to be apprehensive that the aspiring 
youth might even prove a powerful rival, especially a-s th«: 
tide of popularity ran so strongly in his favour* 

* 1 Sam, xriii. 1, 



1>AVTD. «39 

It is therefore not lobe wondered at that thpseevilthoughts 
should produce a return of his former complaint and bring 
him into a melancholy state. 

Again the skill of David was exercised to free Saul from 
his malady and to chace away the black clouds which dis- 
turbed his mind. But the person who was wont to be suc- 
cessful in relieving the afflicted monarch, now proved the 
cause of his disorder, so that instead of being cheered by his 
minstrelsy Saul was irritated against him, and endeavoured 
to take away his life. David escaped twice from the jave- 
lin, which the treacherous Saul cast at him, but still he con- 
tinued to discharge his duty as a faithful servant ; and the 
king not being able to endure his presence, perhaps from a 
presentiment of his future grandeur, gave him a situation in 
the army. In this post he behaved with so much discre- 
tion as to win the affections of the whole nation ; and the 
more his popularity encreased the greater hatred did Saul 
entertain against him. But the evil-minded monarch was 
afraid of using open violence to rid himself of the man whom 
he regarded as his rival ; and therefore, under the pretence 
of friendship, he employed him in some dangerous expedi- 
tions against the Pnilistines. He was in hopes that David 
would fall a victim to his ardent desire of glory, and to sti- 
mulate him the more, offered him his eldest daughter in 
marriage. David was successful ; but instead of receiving 
the promised reward he had the mortification to see her be- 
stowed upon another. Saul was afterwards informed that 
his youngest daughter Michal was in love with David. — 
The report, so far from giving offence, afforded him plea- 
sure ; for says ) e, u I will give him her, that she may be a 
snare to him, and that the hand of the Philistines may be 
against him." What an abominable father must this man 
have been, who could so far trifle with the tender sentiments 
of his daughter, as to employ them for the express purpose of 
destroying the object of her affections ? Yet Saul, like many 
others, had no concern abuut the happiness cf his daughter, 
provided he could but accomplish his own wicked pur- 
poses. Saul perceiving that David had an inclination for 
the princess, offered his consent to their union on condition 
that he should undertake a hazardous enterprize against the 
Philistines. It was the wish of this treacherous prince that 
Divicl would fall in the attempt; and he valued not the 
lives of his subjects provided he could but rid himself oi 



260 SCRIPTURE BIOGRAPHY. 

the man whom he hated. Contrary to his expectation Da- 
vid succeeded in this expedition, and Michal was the reward 
of his valour. This alliance, however, so far from subduing 
the rancour of Saul only enflamed it into a diabolical fury. 
He stooped so low as to command his servants to slay David 
secretly, and even charged Jonathan, the heir apparent of 
his crown, to assassinate his friend. The gallant prince 
spurned the abominable commission, and warned David of 
the danger which surrounded him. He had even the cour- 
age to plead his cause before Saul, and he did it with so 
much eloquence as to produce a momentary compunction in 
the heart of the tyrant. A reconciliation was effected. Saul 
swore that he would no more attempt to injure his son-in- 
law, and David u was in his presence as in times past." 
But this tranquil season lasted not long. In a new war which 
broke out between Israel and the Philistines, David gained 
additional renown by vanquishing the enemies of his coun- 
try. That which should have endeared him to Saul only 
served to receive the seeds of envy and malice. A despond- 
ent, or rather a malignant spirit, seized the evil-minded 
monarch. David exerted his skill to remove his chagrin, 
but Saul had so little regard for honour or gratitude, that 
he again treacherously attempted his life. His hatred grew 
so inveterate that David was constrained to take refuge with 
Samuel, thinking that with the minister of the Most High 
he should be safe. But religious ties had long lost their in- 
fluence upon the misguided prince. He was abandoned to 
an apostate and a perverse spirit: and he followed David 
with a determination of slaying him even in the sanctuary. 
But Jehovah watched over the life of his servant. David 
was apprized of his adversary's approach, and hastened to 
the arms of his beloved Jonathan. The gallant prince" could 
scarcely believe that his parent was so ungrateful and sacri- 
legious : but he soon found that minds filled with envy are 
not to be bound by vows and covenants. He again asserted 
the cause of his friend at his father's table, and in the pres- 
ence of the great officers of the court. The zeal of Jonathan 
roused the fury ot Saul j he loaded his son with opprobrious 
language, treated him as a base traitor, and aimed at him a 
dagger which missed its deadly purpose. The generous 
prince arose from table indignantly, and went in quest of 
Pivrt. Tnis interview was most affectionate ; they embra- 
ced each other and wept. A solemn covenant was entered 



DAVID. 264 

into between them ; and in much sorrow of heart they parted. 
Jonathan returning to tne city, and D;ivid fleeing to the 
land ot strangers. On the way the fugitive stopped at the 
house of the Lord, and being faint and weary solicited some 
provisions from the priest. It chanced that there was no 
bread in tne house but that which was set apart for sacred 
purposes. The exigency of David however prevailed on 
Animelech, and he gave him five loaves. This circumstance 
our blessed Saviour adduced to reprove the hypocrisy of 
the Pharisees, who censured him for permitting his disci- 
ples to gather ears of corn on the Sabbath-day. David also 
obtained from this benevolent prie t the sword of Goliath, 
which had been laid up in the tabernacle as a memorial of 
the divine goodness. From hence he escaped to Gath, where, 
to avoid the resentment of the people who had sufficient 
cause to be jt alous or him, he counterfeited madness. Per- 
haps insanh) among those early nations might be regarded 
as sacred, as it is among the inhabitants of those regions to 
this day. Let this be as it may David saved himself by 
this stratagem, but still not thinking it safe to continue in 
Gath, he removed with his attendants to the cave -of Adul- 
lam, one of those strong holds excavated in the mountains, 
which cotdd be defended by a handful of men against the 
assault of an army. Here David was joined by his fa- 
mily, who were doubtless apprehensive that the vengeance 
ol Saul would extend itself to all who were connected with 
one whom he mortally hated as his rival. Numbers of dis- 
affected persons and men involved in distress, also fled to 
the standard of David, so that in a short time he found him- 
self at the head of a little army. By the advice of the pro- 
phet Gad he removed from Adullam into the land of Judah, 
but first he took care to place his father and mother under 
the protection of the king of Moab. The tender manner in 
which he recommended them to that prince shews the dis- 
tressing state in which David then was, and his solicitude 
for their welfare : u Let my father and my mother, 1 -pray 
thee, come forth and be with you, till I know what God 
will do for me."* 

The good man will always be anxious for the safety of 
his parents, even when he is in the midst of calamity and 
knows not where to turn himself for security. In the sea- 
son of prosperity his concern is to render them easy and 

* 1 Sam. sxii. ,3, 



262 SCRIPTURE BIOGRAPHY. 

lianpv ; and in the dark hour of adversity he studies, amidst 
all his personal disquietude, to alleviate their sorrows. 

On entering the land of Judah, David was joined by 
Al/iathar, the son of Ahimelech, who informed him, that 
fo~ the hospitalitv which he had received at the house of the 
Lord when he fled from Saul, that inhuman monster had 
cut off the high-priest and the rest of his family. These me- 
lancholy tidings greatly affected David, who considered him- 
self as the cause, in some measure, of the miseries which had 
fallen upon this venerable family. He took Abiathar to be 
his bosom friend, and engaged to be his security at the haz- 
ard of his own life. ; 

While he was in exile and endeavouring to elude the vigi- 
lance oi Saul, information was brought to him that the city 
of Keilah was in danger of being taken by the Philistines. — 
David was eager to assist his countrymen ; but a public 
enterprize of this kind might expose him to the observa- 
tion of his enemy, and advantages might be taken to fall 
upon him when en^&^ed in battle, or in his march to Kei- 
lah. According to his wonted custom he consulted the di- 
vine counsel, and having received a command to go he re- 
garded not the disapprobation of his followers, but marched 
Instantly to th» relief of his countrymen, and defeated the in- 
vaders. After so signal an act of patriotic valour, who 
would have expected but that the inhabitants of Keilah would 
have been ready to lay down their lives in his defence, or 
that they would have given him their city for a refuge against 
Saul ? But these ungrateful people, when their turn was 
served, treacherously agreed to give up their deliverer into 
the hands of Saul. To ingratiate themselves with the 
tyrant who oppressed them, they were ready to sacrifice the 
man by whose generous exertions their houses had been 
saved from plunder, their wives and daughters from pollu-' 
tion, and themselves from slavery or death. From hence 
we. may learn what an uncertain vapour is popular esteem. 
When the hopes of a people are fixed upon some distinguish- 
ed hero, all eyes behold him with eager solicitude, and when 
he conquers all tongues are exerted in sounding his praises ; 
but when that security is experienced which his exploit 
has procured he is forgotten, and well indeed will it 
be if the breath of slander does not endeavour to blast 
his reputation. 
The malice of Saul and the treachery of the Keilahites 



DAV'D. U6i 

were frustrated by that gracious being who watched over hid 
persecuted servant. David was warned oi hi> danger by his 
heavenly conductor, and without delay hastened into th wil- 
derness, where he wandered among the woods and moun- 
tains, closely pursued by his vengefui adversary. . 

In this perilous condition he was sought out by the faith- 
ful Jonathan, who, according to the energetic language of 
holy writ, " strengthened his hand in God j" or poured 
into his mind those consolations drawn from the verity of 
the divine promisc-s which were calculated to inspire hi u 
with religious fortitude. If it be pleasing to perceive the 
firmness and purity of that friendship which subsisted be- 
tween these two excellent persons, it is equally pleasing and 
instructive to observe the piety which distinguished their 
conversations. Not an ostentatious or formal set oi phrases 
in which the heart has no concern, but the warm expressions 
of faith, and hope, and love. The one was not more ready 
to pour out his complaint to his friend than Jonathan w«s 
impatient to administer to his afflicted soul the balm of com- 
fort, drawn not frem the vague and insufficient sources of 
philosophy but from the fountain of immortal truth. He 
44 strengthened his hand in God," by reminding him of the 
immutable verity of Jehovah, and the certainty of those 
promises which had been so graciously made to him in times 
past. The piety and generosity of Jonathan will be the 
more admired when it is considered hat those very pro- 
mises which he repeated for the support of his friend, abso- 
lutely cutoff himself from all prospect of succeeding to the 
throne of Israel. Jonathan was assured that the Lord had 
destined David to fill that high station, but this excited not 
in his mind any portion of discontent or envy, neither did it 
in the slightest degree abate the warmth of his friendship. — 
On the contrary, his attachment became more zealous when 
David experienced most trouble ; and when to ail human 
appearance there was no chance of his escaping from the 
fury of Saul, then did this incomparable prince go out at 
the hazard of his own life, to console his friend and " ta 
strengthen his hand in God." Shall we not profit by this 
example ? — Shall it not teach us to cast aside all sell-love 
and every unworthy aftVction, when we behold our friends 
bowed down with affliction, and exposed to the pityless 
storm of persecution ? 

Are we not from hence instructed to forego all the obloquy 
with which we may be treated, in consequence of our friend- 



.3*6* SCRIPTURE BIOGRAPHY. 

ship with the virtuous and righteous ; and to renounce wha& 
may be conducive to our own interest rather than turn our 
backs upon a friend in the time of need ? 

The friendship of David and Jonathan is a far more beau- 
tiful and instructive picture than that of Damon and Pythias, 
or any other which history has recorded ; yet if from it we 
are taught that H a true friend sticketh closer than a bro- 
ther," sacrificing all regard for self-interest, all the esteem 
of the great and the wealthy, and all prospect of riches and 
aggrandizement for the sake of the object beloved, what 
will be our thoughts when we turn our eyes to a still more 
admirable instance of love than even that of Jonathan to the 
V afflicted David ? The Son of God laid aside princely dig^ 
nity and celestial riches, to become a wretched outcast, a 
poor despised and afflicted man, that l ' we might be made 
rich." He suffered shame and ignominy, and death itself, 
that he might purchase redemption for captives sold under 
sin, and pardon for those who have rebelled against the di- 
vine majesty of heaven and earth. Now then, u if God 
hath so loved us how ought we to love one another"* 

Shortly after this interview David was nearly being taken 
by Saul through the treachery of the Ziphites, but just as the 
tyrant made himself sure of his prey he was called off 
by a messenger with the tidings that the Philistines bad ta- 
ken advantage of his absence to invade the land. *n a 

sense of this deliverance so strikingly providential, David 
composed the fifty-fourth psalm, in which he pathetically re- 
presents the baseness and cruelty of his enemies, and con- 
cludes with a pious acknowlegement of God's mercy. 

But the distresses of this eminent servant of God did not 
end here. Saul having repulsed the Philistines returned 
with eagerness to the purbiiit of David, who had an oppor- 
tunitv of shewing the superior dignity of his mind, and the 
uprightness of his heart, in sparing the life of his vengeful 
persecutor. The king of Israel fatigued with his journey, 
entered a cave in the remote recesses of which David and his 
men were concealed. Saul was alone, and the opportunity 
of dispatching him was such as any man who had not the 
fear of God before him would eagerly have embraced. Da- 
vid's men urged him to take vengeance of his enemy, and 
intimated to him that in so doing he would only accomplish 
the purpose of the Lord, who had thus delivered Saul int^ 

• 1 JohniT. 3, 



DAVID. C6* 

his hand. It required no ordinary strength of mind to re- 
sist an advantage thus providentially disposed, but David 
would not injure the man who sought his iife^when he con- 
sidered that he was his king. He cut off part of the skirt of 
Saul's robe as a token ot what he might have accomplished 
if he had not been restrained by a sense of duty, and yet so 
tender was his conscience that even this trivial act gave hira 
uneasiness. When Saul departed from the cave David went 
out and called after him. On looking back the king was sur- 
prized to see his son-in-law bowing himself before him in 
the most reverential manner, but greater was his astonish- 
ment on learning that he owed his life to the generosity of 
David. For the moment his heart was melted, a sense of 
the danger from which he had escaped deeply affected him, 
and he confessed that David had manifested his righteous- 
ness " in rewarding good for evil." He also expressed his 
belief that the kingdom would pass to David, and begged 
hi.n to spare his posterity when that event should take place. 
What he requested was granted ; and for that time they 
parted in peace. 

Alter the funeral of Samuel, which it seems David at- 
tended, u for all the Israelites" it is said, kw were gathered to- 
gether upon that occasion," he went into the wilderness of 
Paran, being unwilling to trust the capricious temper of Saul. 

In this state of exile he began to be in want of the ordina- 
ry necessaries of life ; and hearing that Nabal, a man of 
considerable wealth, held a great feast at shearing time, he 
sent some of his followers to request of him a supply of pro- 
visions. This the proud rustic not only refused, but cast 
upon David the most opprobrious reproaches. When the 
re;ort of Nabai's brutal behaviour was brought to Davi J his 
anger was kindled to an intemperate height, and he made a 
rash resolution of putting to deaih the unmannerly churl 
with all the males of his house. He had sufficient reason to 
resent the treatment which he had received, for he had been 
a protector of Nabai's property, and his followers had as- 
sisted the servants of the man on many occasions. One of 
these men having more gratitude and prudence than his mas- 
ter, communicated what had happened to Abigal, the wife of 
Nabal. She saw that the rudeness of her husband was like- 
ly to produce evil consequences, and therefore taking a 
peace-offering with her went to meet D avid. B\ her persua- 
sions and amiable demeanour the wrath of the warrior was 

2 L 



20G SCRIPTURE BIOGRAPHF. 

appeased, and he desisted from his purpose. When Nabal 
understood the danger from whkh he had escaped through 
the judicious conduct of his wife, he was deeply dismayed, 
and in a short^ime afterwards he died. 

On hearing of the death of Nabait David, on whose heart 
the wisdom and beauty of Abigal had made a deep impres- 
sion, made her an offer of his hand, and she b.eaaic his wifeo 

Shortly after this we find him again exercising his gen* rpr 
sity in sparing the life of his most vengeful adversary. — 
Though Saul had experienced the goodness of David's heart 
in tht cave of Engedi, and for the moment felt a degree of 
remorse for his base behaviour to a faithful subject, he soon 
forgot the obligation, and again pursued him *a ith an in- 
tent of putting him to death. Once more they came near to 
each other, and Saul lay upon the ground a ith all his people 
fast asleep. The opportunity was inviting j all were buried 
in repose - T and nothing was easier than to slay the king as her 
slept. David, accompanied by Abishai, ventured down to 
the camp ; but though he v/as advised to avenge himself of 
his enemy, he nobly resisted the temptation, and taking with 
him the spear and cruse of water which were at the king's 
head, he retreated. When he was at a safe distance he cal- 
led to Abner, Saul's general, and reproached him for not 
being more mindful of his master's safety. He then expos- 
tulated with the king himself in the most gentle and respect 
ful terms on the injustice of his conduct. Saul w r as again 
confounded, and aeknovvleged his folly, inviting him to re- 
turn with a promise not to meditate any more evil designs 
against him. But David saw that such a man was not to be 
trusted, and therefore wisely declined the proposal. They 
then parted as friends to meet no more, either for peace or 
war. D:ivid soon after this affair obtained an asylum with 
Achish, king of the Philistines, with whom he was in such 
favour as to accompany him on an expedition against Israel. 
Achish reposed greater confidence in David than the Philis- 
tine lords judged to be prudent, and therefore they insisted 
upon his being dismissed, lest he should prove treacherous > 
The king was not very willing to lose so able an ally, but the 
united sentiments of his people compelled him to send back 
David and his men. David professed an ardent desire to 
serve Achish in this war, but it is plain enough that his in* 
eUnanons were repugnant to it. Ke volunteered probably 
with a clear discernment that the Philistines would at last 



DAVID. 267 

-eject his services, for it is hardly to be supposed that the 
man who could twice save Saul's life would give his assist- 
ance to the invaders oi his country. On his*return to Z:g- 
lag, the city which had been given to him by Achish, he found 
that the Amalekues had s^ t fire to it, and taken away the 
women and children with ail the plunder that could be car- 
ried off. The disaster so irritated the minds of his follow- 
ers that they threatened to stone him as the cause of their 
misfortune* David had as much reason as any of them to 
be distressed, For he had lost his whole family ; but instead 
oi resenting die unkindness ol his people he consulted the 
Lord, and having received a favourable answer, he set out 
in pursuit of the plunderers. The Amalekites were unpre- 
pai :d for an attack, as they doubtless imagined that David 
and his men were with the Philistines, on the borders of Is- 
ra L The victory was complete, and all the captives and 
Spoils were recovered. 

In the war which was now raging between the Philistines 
and the Israelites, the former were victorious ; and Saul 
with his gallant son, the amiable and virtuous Jonathan, fell 
in the battle. Tus event occasioned a most important change 
in the affairs of David, it finished his persecutions, it ended 
his wanderings, restored him to his country, and opened to 
him the certainty of reigning over Israel. Yet with all these 
comfortable and brilliant views 5)avid rejoiced not in the 
-death of his adversary. Instead of expressing gladness on 
hearing the tidings that Saul had fallen in battle he lamented 
the untimely fate of the king, and that of his beioved Jona- 
than, in one of the most pathetic t legies that ever was writ- 
ten. And so highly did he regard the person of the Lord's 
anointed, that when an Amalekite endeavoured to gain his fa- 
vour by a tale, in which he took the merit of having slain 
Saul at the unfortunate monarch's own request, David shud- 
dered at the relation, and ordered the murderer to be put to 
death. For this act he has been blamed, but unjustly, for 
he was now possessed of the sovereign authority, as he had 
already been anointed by the prophet of the Most High, and 
consequently he had a right to act in a judicial manner. 

Life for life was the plain edict of Jehovah, and David, 
who was now the minister of justice, conceived it his duty 
to put that law in force upon the credit of the man's own con- 
fession. 

.David now removed to Hebron, Where he commenced his 



£6* SCRIPTURE BIOGRAPHY. 

J-eign in the thirtieth year of his age. Thus have we brought 
the snepnerd-lad of Bethlehem to the throue of Judan. — 
The divine declaration was thus far iufilled ; and aii the en- 
deavours of Saul to prevent the accomplishment of it prov- 
ed bat so many steps to accelerate his own destruction, and 
the advancement of David. 

At the commencement of his reign, he distinguished him- 
self by an act of generosity which couid not but endear him 
to the people. The inhabitants of Jabesh Gilead having res- 
cued tne remains of Saul and his son from the Philistines, in- 
terred them with great solemnity. Thi3 circumstance would 
have given offence to many men in David's situation, as 
shewing too great a partiality to one who was known to have 
been his enemy. But he was superior to such jealousy and 
so far from censuring the men of Jabt sh Gilead for the re- 
spect shewn by them to the bones of their deceased sove- 
reign, he commended them, and promised to requite their 
kindness. 

David was now exalted to a throne, but he was not yet to 
experience a tranquil seat. The tribes of Israel, at the in- 
sli ation of Abner, chose Ishboshcth, Saul's son, for their 
k i i g, in consequence of which a civil war broke out between 
Israel and J udah Tnis war continued for a long time, and 
mucn blood was spilt ; but as the counsels of heaven could 
not be frustrated which had given the kingdom to the son of 
Jesse, " he waxed stronger and stronger, while the house of 
Saul waxed weaker and weaker."* 

At length a sudden quarrel between Ishbosheth and his ge- 
neral terminated the war, and reduced the whole kingdom to 
the sceptre of David. Abner had taken the concubine of Saul 
wmch gave great offence to Ihhbosheth, who thought it an 
act of presumption in one who was but a subject. Abner 
conceived himself injured by the reproaches of a monarch 
who was indebted to him for the tottering crown which he 
"wore, ana in a fn of resentment he offered to transfer that crown 
to David. A negociation took place ; but while it was going 
Oil, joab and Abisnai, two brothers, and men of great 
power in the court of David, slew the Israelitish general 
ireaclierouslv. D vid was struck with horror at the atroci- 
ous de< d, but hi-, authority was too weak, and their influ- 
ence too strong, to permie him to punish the murderers h 
saiety to himself. M 1 am this day weak," says he, though 

* 2 Sam. iii. 1. 



DAVID. 269 

tinointed king ; and these men be too hard fof mc the 
LortUhall reward the doer of evil according to his wicked- 
ness."* 

Another circumstance happened at the same time, which 
gives us but an unfavourable opinion of the manners and 
principles of that period, though it affords us another occa- 
sion of admiring the magnanimity of David. 

VVnen intelligence came of the death of Abner, all the 
court oi lshbosheth, as well as the feeble monarch himself 
conceived tnat his reign could not continue long. To in- 
gratiate themselves therefore with David, two of the servants 
oi ishbosneth murdered him in his bed, and carried his head 
to Uie king of J udah at Hebron, flattering themselves no doubt 
with receiving high applause, and rewards for their ztal. 
But the. treacnery of the wretches roused the indignation of 
David, and he instantly commanded them to be put to 
death. 

The tribes of Israel, in a solemn assembly, now acknow- 
legcci D<*vid lor their king, and he was according!} anointed 
at Hebron in the year of the world 2956, just seven years 
and a halt from the death of Saul. Shortly after his acces- 
sion David invaded the country of the Jebusites, and took 
from them Jerusalem, which he made the seat of his govern- 
ment ; and that famous part of it, called the Hill of Zion, 
was for a long time distinguished by the appellation of the 
City of David. Here he built a magnificent palace, the ma- 
terials of which, as well as the workmen, were brought from 
Tyre, whose inhabitants were celebrated for their skill in 
arcnitecture throughout the east. 

The Philistines were no sooner informed of the advance- 
ment of David to the throne of Israel, than they began to 
fear that his warlike spirit would lead him to attempt the 
conquest of their country. They had fully witnessed his 
enui prizing genius, and they knew that he was intimately 
acquainted with all the strong holds in and near theirterrito- 
ry. iiui David entertained no hostile designs against them, 
nor does his character warrant us to suppose that he would 
have turned his arms, unprovoked, against a people who had 
afforded him an asylum in the day of his distress. The Phi- 
listines, however, took no steps to establish peace and union 
between the two countries, but, prompted by fear and env) T , 
^determined to crush the rising kingdom in its bud. They 

* 2 Sam. Hi, 39. 



2rt> SCRIPTURE BIOGRAPHY. 

imagined that as David was bat just inaugurated it would be 
no difficult matter to dismember his dominions. With this 
view they began hostilities ; but though David was not pre- 
pared for the attack he lost no time in collecting his forces, 
and quickly repelled the invaders of his country, who, in 
their hasty retreat, left their gods behind, which the pious 
king consumed with fire. The Philistines again made their 
appearance in great numbers, but were as unsuccessful as at 
first. David had then a resting time, which he employed in 
attending to the interests of religion. In the latter years of 
Saul's ri ign li.de regard had been paid to the services of the 
sanctuary ; for when a prince apostatizes from his God, it 
can hardly be expected that there will be much religion 
among his subjects. 
V When David had obtained rest from his enemies his first 
care was to bring up the ark of God, which had long lain 
neglected at Kirjath Jearim, to Jerusalem, in a solemn pro- 
cession, and to recommend by his example a devout reve- 
rence for divine worship. But in this ceremony an awful 
circumstance occurred, which occasioned the ark to be de- 
posited in the house of Obed-Edom for three months. A 
man of the name of Uzzah, seemingly without any ill design, 
observing that the ark was in danger of falling, put forth 
his iiand to support it- For this he was instantly struck 
dead, and the judgment had such an effect upon David, that 
he was afraid at that time to take it any farther. The error 
of Uzzah may appear too small to have deserved so severe a 
punishment ; but let us remember that the visitation was of 
the L^rd, who judgeth righteously. By his law none were 
to meddle with holy things but those who were consecrated 
thereto. The ark was deemed the most sacred of these as 
containing the mercy-seat, and bearing the Shechinah, or the 
visible symbol of the divine presence. David acted wrong in 
placing the holy vessel upon a cart instead of employing 
the Levites to bear it on their shoulders ; the judgment upon 
Uzzah, therefore, was intended to convince the king of his 
error, and likewise to impress on the minds of the people a 
becoming dread of the infinite holiness and justice of Jeho- 
vah. The pious reverence paid to the sacred deposit by 
Obed-Edorn brought upon him the blessing of heaven so 
remarkably, that David was informed of it, on which he re- 
sumed his design, and fetched the ark up to Jerusalem with 
great rejoicings. On this occasion he composed some beau- 



DAVID. 271 

i psalms of thanksgiving, which were sung by the people, 
and were afterwards incorporated into the liturgy of the 
Jewish church. The pious care of David for the honour of 
God's house and service did not end with this solemn festi- 
val : but he took pains to correct the abuses, to restore the 
beauty of divine worship, and to excite the people by his 
own example to a constant attendance upon holy ordi- 
nances. Nor was he content with the discharge of his 
public duty, or with exhibiting the appearance of religion 
in the presence of his subjects. He had a regard also to the 
religious principles and deportment of his family. When he 
had seen the ark of God duly situated, and had taken care 
that divine service should be regularly performed, he return- 
ed to bless his house, or to discharge his duty as the head of 
a family, by praying with them and communicating to them 
religious instruction. Nor did the piety of David end here. 
He knew that religion must have its seat in the heart, and 
that it must be cultivated by private meditation and prayer. 
Most of his psalms are the pious breathings of a soul retired 
from the noise of the world, from public cares and concerns, 
to enjoy communion with its God in secret. David waa 
fdled with ardent zeal for the divine glory, and in a spirit 
of gratitude to God for the blessings he had experienced, and 
with a deep concern for the edification of his subjects, he 
projected the design of building a superb temple for divine 
worship in the capital of his dominions. The prophet Na- 
than, at first approved of the design, but he socn received in- 
structions from th^ Lord to forbid its execution ; because 
David was called to other services, and that this great work 
was reserved for his son. The most gracious declaration 
was made to him, that his throne should be established for 
ever ; which promise, ajs it follows a glorious description of 
the exalted personage that should arise from him, must allude 
to the Messiah, " of whose kingdom there shall be no end." 
David received the divine message with joy and gratitude. 
Though crossed in his favourite plan he complained not, 
but submitted to the will of God, and poured out the grate- 
ful effusions of his heart in a song of thanksgiving. 

The piety of David, his love of meditation, and his punc- 
tuality in attending upon the services of the sanctuary did 
not lessen his courage as a soldier, or make him indolent as 
a king. He conducted his army in person against various 
potent enemies and gained the most important victories.:-? 



2m SCRIPTURE BIOGRAPHY*. 

Many of the neighbouring nations were brought under tri^ 
bute, and others were glad to form an alliance with Israel. 
The royal treasury was enriched, the nation was in the most 
flourishing condition, and the name of David was spread 
through distant lands. All that he undertook prospered, 
" for the Lord preserved him whithersoever he went." 
Thus in his person and government was fulfilled the divine' 
promise made to Abraham, " unto thy seed have I given 
this land, from the river of Egypt, unto the great river, the 
river Euphrates."* 

In the administration of his government, David shewed a 
strict impartiality and exerted himself with diligence, not 
leaving the management of affairs to mercenary hirelings, 
but taking the examination of them into his own hands, " exe- 
cuting judgment and justice equally unto all his people." 

We have had several occasions to admire the generosity 
of this great man to his bitterest enemy Saul, and the warmth 
of his friendship for Jonathan the son of that monarch. — 
That spirit did not expire when he gained the crown, bat on 
the contrary he shewed considerable kindness to the family 
of his predecessor. His regard for Jonathan still remained, 
and having discovered that he had left a son behind him, Da- 
vid gave him the whole family estate, and admitted him con- 
stantly to his table. 

It is chiefly in such instances of grateful affection, of 
friendly benevolence as this that we trace with admiration 
true greatness of soul. All the remembrance of injuries re- 
ceived from Saul were buried in his grave, and David's 
studv was to soften the sorrows of his descendants and to ex- 
tend the love which he bore for Jonathan to his children. 
Here David appears with lustre, and on this part of his cha- 
racter we could wish to dwell at considerable length ; but 
painful necessity urges us forward to a scene, that fills the 
mind with astonishment and horror. The remark has already 
been made that the sacred historians never attempt to palliate, 
much less to suppress the evil actions of the persons whose 
lives they record. David is a favourite character, and just* 
ly, in the book of God, but he is not represented as fault- 
less ; on the contrary we are now come to an event in his sto- 
ry which exhibits a humbling proof of the frailty and de- 
pravity of the best of men. Having established his throne 
in security, David seems to have relaxed in his zeal, for he 

* Gen. sv. 1$. 



DAVD. 273 

continued at Jerusalem indulging himself at his ease while 
his country was engaged in a war with the Ammonites. Tnc 
season of soft indulgence is the season of temptation and 
that wherein the enemy of souls is the most successful. Da- 
vid had been reposing on his bed in the day-time, and at 
" even tide he arose" to enjoy the cool breeze upon the top 
of his house. In the east the roofs of the houses are flat, 
that the inhabitants may conveniently walk thereon. As 
David was thus refreshing himself with the evening i ir, he 
saw a lovely woman batning herself, instead of avering 
his eyes from so dangerous and fascinating an object, he 
suffered the poison of temptation to enter without resistance, 
and presently became the slave of a lawless passion. On en- 
quiry the woman was found to be the wife of one of his 
most faithful subj.-cts, who was then abroad in his service.— 
This intelligence did not damp the evil desires of David, 
or produce in his mind any degree of serious reflection. 
The reins were thrown loose upon his corrupt passions, and 
having sent for Bathsheba to the palace, the abominable 
crime of adultery was perpetrated. We shudder at the 
atrocious offence of a man whose conduct hitherto has been 
so amiable and praise- worthy ; but there is this striking les- 
son to be learnt from it, that temptation to be overcome 
must be resisted in the first instance. If the eye is indulged 
in feasting upon an unlawful object, if the ear is permitted 
to imbibe the luscious tale, or the imagination to rove upon 
wanton scenes, the heart will soon be corrupted, the best 
principles will be overwhelmed, and conscience will be sti- 
ll d till she revives only to punish the mind with the heavy 
sc u ge of remorse. 

When it appeared that Bathsheba was with child, David 
began to entertain fears, but they were not the effects of 
compunction and remorse. He was yet not convinced of 
his sinful conduct, nor apprehensive of the divine displeasure* 
He only feared that a discovery of his guilt would lessen his 
reputation in the eyes of the people, and perhaps occasion 
a revolt in the army. Guilty passion is mean and pitiful ; 
and will stoop to the basest arts to hide itself from public 
observation. That which occasions jov to others, gives pain 
to the adulterer. He feels no delight in being a father, he 
has no parental feelings, none of those pleasing expectations 
which swell the heart of an affectionate husband. On the 
contrary his mind is filled with black and terrible images. — 
He dreads the hour when a living witness of his enormity 

2 M 



XT4 SCRIPTURE BIOGRAPHY, 

shall appear, he looks upon the person who has been in- 
volved in guilt by his treachery, with a kind of disgust, and 
it is well ii some dark and bloody designs are not formed and 
hatched in his brain. 

The king of Israel when he found that Bathsheba had 
ssnceived, sent for her husband home on a frivolous errand^ 
that the child might pass upon him as his own. With this 
view he entertained Uriah sumptuously and having plied him 
well with wine sent him home to his house. The scheme 
was artfal but base. Providence that watched all the move- 
ments oi it, crossed the whole by preventing Uriah from 
visiting his wife. Had the man been sober perhaps he 
would pot have entertained an opinion *o preposterous and 
romantic as that it did not become him to enjoy the com- 
forts of his habitation while the rest of the army were ex- 
posed in the held. The project of David, therefore, de- 
stroyed the very purpose which it was intended to produce. 
U iah heated with liquor lay down at the door of the palace 
and fell asleep. This disappointment irritated the guilty 
mind of David, and not knowing what other expedient to 
adopt, he resolved upon getting rid of his rival at once.— - 
Adultery and murder are often connected crimes. The one 
very naturally introduces the other as the only means left to 
conceal a shameful fact and to preserve an abominable inter- 
course. Uriah was sent back with a letter to Joab, genera! 
of the army. The poor man little suspected that it was the 
mandate of death. It commanded Joab to place Uriah in 
the very front of the battle so that his fall might be inevi- 
table. The consequence was natural. Joab, himself, had 
been an assassin, and he was not scrupulous in obeying the 
injunction of his sovereign which would prove so admirable 
a cloke for himself. 

When David received the information that Uriah was 
dead, he publicly took dathsheba to be his wife, and for a 
time he was wholly insensible of his heinous transgression. 
But though the sinner may rest secure for a time, though he 
may indulge his criminal passion without any painful sensa- 
tion, and be wholly regardless of the consequences, the 
time must come when u judgment will have her perfect 
work ;" conscience will at length arise, and her voice will, 
be heard. 

Nathan the messenger of God is sent to the degenerate mo- 
narch with a declaration of the divine displeasure, and the 
Renunciation of iudjrment. The Drophe-t, i&arfnl psrh^ws. 



DAVIB. 27$ 

Chat a direct reproof might provoke the wrath of David, and 
only serve to harden him in his wickedness, began to engage 
his'attention by the relation of an inhuman action commit- 
ted by one of his rich subjects against a poor neighbour. 
The circumstance was so base and told in so affecting a man- 
ner, that the king in his zeal lor justice immediately declared 
that the offender should be put 10 death if he could be found*, 
This was the precise point tor applying the parable " Thou 
art the man" says the prophet, and then proceeds to set be- 
fore the royal culprit, his base ingratitude to God, in this 
complicated mass oi iniquity. The monarch felt the force 
of the charge. The arrows of conviction entered into his 
soul, and he made this penitent confession u 1 have sinned 
against the Lord". 

Tne repentauce of David was genuine, and he poured out 
the keen agony which rent his heart in the lift) -first psalm, 
which is perhaps the most exquisite picture ol a humbled 
sinner to be found in the sacred volume. 

When he was thus brought to a deep sense of his trans- 
gression, a word of comfort was administered unto him. — 
M The Lord hath put away thy sin," says Nathan, " thou 
shalt not die." David's sin was cancelled through his re- 
pentance, by the grace of God ; but it was remembered 
against him, and tor a punishment the fruit of this adulterous 
commerce was cut off. 

If the fall of David teaches us the necessity of a most 
watchful circumspection over our hearts and of keeping a 
strict guard upon our senses ; if it convinces us that the best 
of men are sinners and liable to fall into the grossest corrup- 
tions, and if it cautions us against the first approaches of 
temptation, lest it bring us to the commission ot the vilest of- 
fences — his repeutance is equally instructive and encourag- 
ing. We have here an instance of the exceeding goodness 
of God in accepting the contrition of his servant, and in re- 
storing to him, notwithstanding his aggravated guilt, "the 
joy of his salvation." 

From this instance sinners are encouraged to # hope for the 
pardon of their offences, however manifold and heinous so- 
ever they may be ; but it must be thoroughly sought for by 
deep contrition of heart, by sincere confession, and by fervent 
prayer. 

The war in which David was engaged at the time when he 
sinned so shamefully, lermi .ated successfully. The Ammo- 
nites were subdued, Kabbah their capital city was taken, and 



2f6 SCRIPTURE BIOGRAPHY. 

the crown of their monarch placed on tl e head of the con- 
queror. After this important conquest he caused ' the 
inhabitants to be put under saws, and under harrows of iron, 
and made them pa-s.through the brick kiln." 3 ^ For this 
conduct D ivid has been stigmatized as a cruel t\ rant and a 
vengeful monster. But there was n<>thi ;g inhuman or 
ungenerous in a practice which was common at that period. 
We are not to conclude that the conqueror put the AmmOn- 
ites to death or torture, but only that he made them pass 
under these implements of labour as a mark of subjection. 
It was no more degrading than the custom which prev iied 
among the polished Romans of leading vanquished kings 
and their families in chains to grace the triumph of some 
distinguished hero. 

The sin of David was soon punished, and that in a most 
remarkable manner. 

His son A nmon, a most abandoned and unprincipled pro- 
fligate, committed incest with his sister Tamar. and tnen 
basely and inhumanly turned her out of his house. This 
shucking act was avenged by Absalom, another of David's 
sons, who at an entertainment which he gave to his brethren 
caused Ainmon to be murdered when he was overcome with 
liquor. Thus the crimes of David, with ail the aggravating 
circumstances of them, were punished in his own family in a 
manner exactly parallel. 

Absalom fearing that this foul piece of treachery might 
cost hi n his life, fl-ed fo protec ion to the king of Geshur, 
with whom \e resided three years. At the expiration of that 
time David's gritfior Ammon being abated, his love tor 
Absalom returned, and he was easily persuaded to recall him. 
The only punishment which he inflicted upon the fratricide 
was tobanisa him from his presence for two years ; but -his 
fond partiality for that profligate young man proved a sore 
trial to David. 

The personal beauty and accomplishments of Absalom 
appear to have been the only grounds for his father's affec- 
tion. 

He was treacherous, vindictive, and ambitious. Instead 
of repaying his father's goodness by amendment and humi- 
lity, he insinuated himself into.the good opinion of the people 
by a pre -.ended concern for their interests, and having thus 
au@nated them from their duty, he commenced open rebel- 

2 Sam. xii. 31. 



davtd. err 

iion. The conspiracy was so formidable that David was 
under the necessh) of escaping from Jerusalem with a few 
faithful iriends. The ministers of religion remained firm in 
allegiance to their king, aad fled with him, bearing the- ai k of 
GOD. They who have a rtai sense of religion will always 
be obedient to their lawful rulers. Rebellion is a deadly sin, > 
an I every good man will abhor the thought of swerving 
from the duty which he owes to his king as the minister 
of GOD. It is a branch of the divine law which has 
beea confirmed and enforced by the authority and exam- 
ple of him who came to fulfil all righteousness, and there- 
fore cannot be violated without incurring the divine dis- 
pleasure. 

David not being willing to expose the ark of God to 
danger and to irreverent treatment commanded the priests to 
return with ittojeru^alem, for, says he, " if I shall find favour 
in the eyes of the Lord, he will bring me again, and shew 
me both it and his habitation. But if he then say, V have 
no delight in thee ; behold here am 1, let him do to me what 
seemeth good to him."* 

Tnrough the whole of this severe affliction he maintained 
a submissive, pious, and forgiving spirit. He saw that the 
hand of God was now displayed in correcting him for his 
transgressions and he endured the rod without murmuring. 
As he fled, Shimei, a descendant of Saul, took the mean ad- 
vantage of his forlorn condition to use him with the most 
brutal insolence, casting stones at him and uttering the most 
frantic and diabolical execrations. Some of David's servants 
were eager to punish the daring impudence of the man, but 
their zeal was thus restrained by the meek and penitent mo- 
narcn, " let him alone and let him curse, for the Lord hath 
bidden him, it may be that the Lord will fook upon mine 
affliction, and that the Lord will requite me good for his 
cursing this day." 

Absalom was not content with possessing himself of 
the royal city and driving his aged father into exile, but 
committed a most abominable act in defiling his father's con- 
cubines in the sight of all Israel. A wretch who could de- 
fa as e himself so iar as this, was not to be restained from the 
perpetration of the most heinous of all offences. Rebellion 
and i cest were but natural steps to parricide ; and Absalom 
pursued his father with a determined resolution of taking 

• 2 Sam. xy. 25, 26. 



27* SCRIPTURE BIOGRAPHY. 

away his life. A battle ensued between the royal arm? and 
the rebels in which the latter were defeated, and Absalom 
fled. The kindness of David to his graceless son continued 
to the very last. He gave express orders to his soldiers 
i4 that they should deal gently with Absalom," and when 
he heard of his death he mourned for him with a grief which 
may be justly considered as excessive. The pathetic ex- 
pressions he poured out on this occasion shew the deep ago- 
ny which he experienced, and though thev cannot be wholly 
vindicated, yet they exhibit the most favourable picture of a 
good and benevolent heart. tl O my son Absalom, my son, 
my son Ab aiom, he exclaimed, would to God I had died 
for tuee, O Absalom^ my son, my son P ? The horrible ingrati- 
tude of this graceless young man was forgotten, all his wick- 
edness was passed over, and D ivid considered not the rebel 
but the son. The tenderness of his grief may also have had 
this to excuse it, that the father was concerned at the un- 
timeliness of his son's fate., and at his being cut off in the 
midst of his sins without an opportunity of repentance. — 
I«et this avvful example be a warning both to parents and 
children ; to the former not by a foolish partiality and indul- 
gence to encourage them in vicious habits and connections, 
and to the latter in making tiiem repress every inordinate de- 
sire, and ambitious principle, and in making them sensible 
that the want of duty to their parents is the sure way of 
bringing down upon them the vengeance of God. 

The people who had shewn their loyalty to David in op- 
posing and quelling this dangerous rebellion, were greatly dis- 
satisfied with his uncommon concern at the loss of a worthless 
son, and at his Keeping himself retired from the adminis- 
tration of public affairs. Joab freely told the king of the 
danger that mi^ht result from this conduct, in weaning the 
affections of his subjects from his person and government. 
T lis remonstrance trad its effect, and David returned to the 
discharge of his public dutv, and to the favour of his people* 
On his passage over Jordan to Jerusalem in triumph, Shimei, 
the cowardly and insolent Benjamite who had shewn such a 
m dignancy to the exiled king, now came with much servili- 
ty and supplicated his forgiveness. David was strongly 
pressed by some of his attendants to punish the man, but 
with that magnanimity which usually distinguished his con- 
duct, he passed over the insolence that had been offered 
him, an') d chred that no blood should be shed in that day 
of general rejuicing. 



DAVID* 270 

Shortly after this another insurrection was raised against 
him by the artifices of a factious Israelite called Sheba, but 
though it portended more alarming consequences than that 
of Absalom, yet by the zealous loyalty of the men of Ju- 
dah this rebellion was quelled, and the misguided Israelites 
returned to their duty. Civil dissensions frequently pro- 
duce want and misery. When men's minds are alienated 
from the government under which they live, and feuds and 
contentions arise, industry slackens, the regular course of 
business is broken, and the earth itself is cursed through the 
pride and wickedness of man. Two rebellions had disturb- 
ed the peace of David's government, and the perverseness of 
his subjects was punished by a grievous famine. The sa- 
cred history does, indeed, represent this visitation oi Provi- 
dence as the consequence of Saul's breach of faith to the 
poor and oppressed Gibeonites. This will not, however, be 
ibund to invalidate the assertion that the civil wars were 
leading causes of this natural evil. They were parts of the 
same chain ordered by heaven for the punishment of a rebel- 
lious nation. When David enquired of the Lord concerningthe 
cause of the famine which desolated his kingdoms, he was 
told that the crime of Saul remained unexpired, and the sa- 
crifice appointed consisted of seven of that monarch's des- 
cendants. These persons accordingly were delivered to the 
Gibeonites and executed. This is one ot those mysterious 
transactions on which much conjecture might be spent with- 
out any satisfactory conclusion being formed. Upon prin- 
ciples of human policy it would be condemned, but we are 
now contemplating a procedure out of the way of man's judg- 
ment, and necessarily involved in clouds and thick darkness. 
The Almighty can neither do, nor command that which is 
wrong, and if we are to believe that he ordered this atone- 
ment to be made, that an offence might be removed from Is- 
rael, we must conclude that the measure was wise and good. 
And that the offering was made in consequence of God's 
command cannot well be doubted, when we consider the un- 
paralleled generosity of David to Saul and his posterity. We 
have already had frequent occasions to admire his forgiving 
spirit, and his great liberality to the family of his persecutor ; 
it cannot, therefore, be supposed that at such a distance of 
time David would have acted in this instance from any other 
motive than a pure submission to the will of God clearly 
revealed to him. 

The latter years of this truly great king were exceedingly 



280 SCRTPTURE BIOGRAPHY. 

prosperous. He saw faction and discontent expire within his 
territories, foreign enemies subdued, many poweriul nations 
become tributary to him, and others courting his lliar.ce. 

Bat prosperitv is oftentimes as dangerous co the virtue and 
peace of nations as to individuals. David, like many other 
eminent men, shines with more lustre in the cloud) and tem- 
pestuous season of adversity , than in the lull blaze of ease 
and worldly glory. 

When he found that his dominions were established in se- 
curity and that his enemies were vanquished on every side, 
a principle of vanity seems to have prompted him to num- 
ber his people. The measure itself does not carry any ap- 
pearance of impropriety, but the Almighty searcher of 
hearts judges by the motives and not by the actions which 
result from them. The conduct of David was evidently- 
wrong, and it appeared so, even to the ungodly Joab, who 
remonstrated against it; but tne king was obstinate and the 
people were numbered throughout the land. The guilt of 
the monarch was punished by a devouring pestilence which 
threatened to extirpate the whole nation ; but his penitence 
was accepted and the progress of the destroying angel was 
slopped. On the very spot where the plague was stayed, 
David offered a solemn sacrifice, and there did his successor 
erect a magnificent tempi, to the glory of the God of Israel, 
When we read of these awful judgments failing upon a 
whole people for the wickedness of their rulers, we are apt to 
wonder, and some perhaps will be disposed to murmur at 
the rectitude of the proceeding, or to disbelieve the fact as it 
Is related. But if we look to the history of modern nations, 
though the writers may have omitted to notice the agency of 
Providence in the events recorded by them, we shall often 
see evident proofs of this great truth, that public and crying 
enormities produce evils of the most destructive kind. The 
sin of David in numbering his people is stated as the cause 
of the pestilence, but it is not, therefore, to be i ferred that 
the people themselves were innocent. Though his crime 
only is mentioned, we may justly conclude that the cup of 
national iniquity was so full as to call for a heavy punish- 
ment. It is not uncommon in scripture to represent the> 
judgment which falls upon a gudty nation, as an act of jus- 
tice inflicted upon it for the offence of its king. 

At the close of his life, David was much afflicted with bo- 
dily disease, and from he sy nptoms recorded, it has aeen 
conjectured that he was stricken with a dead palsy. To re- 



DAVID, 2B% 

store the animal heat, his physicians proposed a measure 
which, though witlings may ridicule and profane libertines 
may scoff at, docs not injure the reputation either of the mo- 
narch himself, or that of the history which records it. He 
married a young woman named Abishag, not from any sensu- 
al motive, but according to the science of that age, in hopes 
that thereby the animal strength might be restored.-— 
Whether the remedy adopted proved successful is not told 
us ; but of this we are assured, that the mental faculties of 
the aged king remained unimpaired, and that his zeal both 
for the glory of God and for the good of his people was un- 
abated. He wisely took care to settle the succession of his 
crown, fearing that by leaving this material point undeter- 
mined, the most serious evils might result from the rivalship 
of his sons. The necessity of this measure soo^i app-ared, 
for Adonijah the brother of Absalom, and much like him 
both in person and disposition, being impatient to gain the 

throne, collected his partizanis and declared himself king 

When David was informed of this rebellious conduct of 
Adonijah, he caused Solomon to be proclaimed, and he was 
accepted by the people with such universal acclamations of 
joy, that his opponent yielded up his pretensions and sub- 
mitted himself to his brother. 

Perceiving his end to be drawing near, David called for 
his son, and gave him a strict charge respecting the building 
of the temple on which his heart had been set for many 
years. The work was great, but the good old king encour- 
aged Solomon to persevere in it by an assurance that the di- 
vine blessing would prosper his labours* This charge was 
delivered in the presence of the princes of Israel, whom he 
exhorted to assist in this good work, and the influence of his 
example and solicitations so far prevailed that their contribu- 
tions exceeded David's most sanguine expectations. 

It was a solemn and an affecting scene. All were anxi- 
ous to express their gratitude to God and the r veneration 
for his aged servant. The king himself was invigorated and 
his soul was filled with the divine spirit. He proclaimed the 
praises of his God, and he predicted an effusion of blessings 
to his son. He called upon the whole congregation to join 
in an act of worship, and in the midst of this joy and festi- 
vity, Solomon was crowned the second time. 

This was the concluding scene of David's life, and it was 
such an one as became a man of his exalted rank and piety. 
He had no uneasiness at leaving a flourishing kingdom, and 

2 N 



2S2 SCRIPTURE BldGRAPHT- 

wealth and dignity, but carefully prepared for his entrance* 
into the invisible world, by disencumbering himself of alf 
that belonged to this corrupt and perishable state. He re- 
signed his throne with becoming ease and cheerfulness. It 
gave him satisfaction to invest his son with the royal robes, 
and to see him received with the universal approbation and 
joy of the kingdom. In thus laying down the diadem 
before death could wrest it from him, we have cause to 
admire his truly heroic mind. But that which raised David 
above the baubles of the world, and animated him in the 
sight of death, was the firm conviction of his interest in Je- 
hovah, the covenant God of his salvation. a Although," says 
he, " my house be not so with God, yet he hath made with 
me an everlasting covenant, ordered in all things and sure ; 
for this is all my salvation and all my desire, although he 
make it not to grow.' 7 * The Messiah was all his hope and 
ail the ground upon which he built his expectation of redemp- 
tion, though he was sensible that the advent of that glorious 
personage was yet at a remote distance. \ 

This faith supported David in all the troubles of his life % 
it strengthened him in his sickness, and it enabled him at last 
to meet death without terror. What can be more triumphant 
than this beautiful declaration : " though I walk through the 
valley of the shadow of death, 1 will fear no evil, for thou 
art with me, thy rod and thy staff they comfort me ?"f 

He died at the age of seventy years, forty of which he 
reigned over Israel. 

In David's character we behold a mixture of excellencies 
and defects, great virtues and lamentable failings. But 
though his infirmities were many and his offences very enor- 
mous, yet we see him returning to his God with deep con- 
trition of heart, and with sincere confession of his guilt. If 
then in his fall we have a warning set before us, in his repen- 
tance and amendment we behold an example which it will 
be well for us to imitate. We may not indeed be sinners ex- 
actly in the same way as David was, but sinners we are, and 
there is no other method of gaining the divine favour but 
by the means which this royal penitent obtained it, namely, 
bv genuine humiliation of soul, and faith in the merits of the 
Redeemer. 

He had a very clear view of that divine person who, 
u according to the flesh." was to descend from him, and in 
various Psa'ms he celebrates his dignity, incarnation, voluxt*- 

2 Sam. '-xxiii. 5. /£ Ps. xxiii. ir* 



JtfAVID. &M 

tary humility, sufferings, resurrection, and ascension. Those 
sublime compositions are full of the Messiah and ot ;a^ work 
of redemption ; and unless the)' are considered with this re- 
ference, they are, at least in many parts, confused, obscure, 
and perplexing. Even those which have a plain relation to 
the circumstances of David are not to be confined to them 
only, but have a farther and more important illustration in 
the life and death of the Redeemer. The book of psalms 
is an exhibition of the great scheme of salvation throughout, 
and if the reader will only enter into the evangelical sense of 
them, his edification and comfort will be greater than any 
Ttfords-of mine can express. 

But David was not only a prophet who foretold under 
various striking characters and images, the coming of the 
sun of righteousness ;- -but he was himself, in many leading 
points, an illustrious type of that, blessed objret. in all re- 
spects as a shepherd, prophet, priest, warrior, kin; , and me- 
diator, we can trace the lines of perfect resemblance. David 
conquered Goliath the enemy of Israel, when the hearts of 
all men failed for fear ; thus did our spiritual David, when 
even the armies of heaven shunned the contest, encounter 
the adversaries of our salvation, endure the wrath of divine 
justice, and bring in complete deliverance for us. The great 
enemy of mankind, possessed of gigantic faculties, and arm- 
ed at all points, threatened us with certain destruction, but Je- 
sus, who was * l made lower than the angels," divested him- 
self of all his celestial glories, " emptied himself and became 
of no reputation :" and in our nature, met and vanquished 
the arrogant champion, by inflicting on him a mortal wound 
in the head, agreeable to the express words of the first pro- 
phecy on record. 

It would be an easy and a profitable employ to pursue the 
the parallel between David and the Messiah farther, by trac- 
ing the shepherd youth on through all the marvellous inci- 
dents of his life, amidst storms and persecutions, to the throne, 
and in connexion therewith to mark the humiliation, suffer- 
ings and exaltation of the " king of Zioo," till his church 
shall be established in perfect glory. 

But the limits of this volume will not allow me to per- 
form what it would be a pleasure to execute. The reader 
however, can easily mark the resemblance himself, especially 
if he will take as his companion, and his counsellor, that in- 
estimable work, Bishop Home's " Commentary on the 
Psalms;" a book which no family nor any pious Christian 
sught to be without. 



mi SCRIPTURE BIOGRAPHY. v 

SOLOMON. ///>cm«# oJty 

Born anno mundi, 2971', died 3029. 

IT is a mortifying reflection that wisdom and holiness d© 
not always meet in the same person. Men whose in- 
tellectual qualifications were of the first magnitude, stand 
exposed to perpetual reproach for weaknesses and vices 
which would disgrace the rude and uncivilized inhabitant 
of the forest, unacquainted alike with the precepts of revela- 
tion and the rules of social life. This establishes beyond a 
question the certainty of man's being in a degenerate state, 
fallen from original righteousness, and incapable by the ex- 
ertion of his own powers of attaining any knowlege of God. 

Human wisdom deserves all praise and encouragement ; 
but unless it is sanctified by grace, and rendered subservient 
to the promotion of God's glory, and the renew T al of the 
heart, it is most likely to prove a curse instead of a blessing. 
If the mental talent is not thus improved, a severe judgment 
will be passed upon the man who has abused it, since he 
cannot urge any plea of ignorance for his excuse in " not 
having fulfilled the commandments of his Lord." 

In the life of Solomon, king of Israel, we see all that hu- 
man wisdom can possibly do towards enriching the mind, 
or sanctifying the heart. In him it will appear that the 
most vigorous intellect is incapable of resisting temptation, 
and that the greatest extent of knowlege will not cleanse 
that moral corruption, or clear away that spiritual darkness, 
which debase the soul of every man born into the world. 

This celebrated monarch was the son of that Bathsheba 
whose charms allured David to commit the foulest actions 
of his life. He was born in the year of the world 2*971, 
and the expectation of his father concerning him was strongly 
raised by this prediction : " Behold a son shall be born to 
thee, who shall be a man of rest, and I will give him rest 
from all his enemies round about ; for his name shall be 
Solomon, and I will give peace and quietness unto Israel 
in his days. He shall build a house for my name, and he 
shall be my Son and I will be his father, and I will establish 
the throne of his kingdom over Israel for ever."* 

Though this prophecy was literally fulfilled in the person 
and reign of Solomon, yet it is manifest to us that " a great- 

* 1 Chron, xxii. % 10. 



SOLOMON. 28£ 

cr than Solomon is here." The declaration had a plain re- 
ference to the son and successor of David, but it is only veri- 
fied completely in the person and reign of the Prince of 
Peace, who gives spiritual and eternal rest unto his people, 
who is the only begotten Son of the Father full of grace 
and truth, and who is now perfecting that glorious edifice, 
the church of God, of which he is himself the chief corner 
stone. On the birth of Solomon, Nathan the prophet was 
sent to David to inform him that the divine favour rested 
upon his son, who also received the distinguished appellation 
of Jedidiah, " or beloved of the Lord."^ 

Concerning his infant years and education we know no- 
thing ; but it can hardly be supposed that the child of so 
much promise was neglected by such a man as David. — 
We have, indeed, seen much to condemn in that great man's 
conduct to his other children, particularly to Absalom, but 
from Solomon's early piety and prudence it is to be pre- 
sumed that he profited much by his father's instructions. 

When David saw that his dissolution drew near, and that 
a conspiracy was formed to place his son Adonijah on the 
throne, he caused Solomon to be invested with the royal 
robes, and resigned to him the sceptre in the sight of all 
Israel. 

Several persons were put to death at the beginning of his 
reign, but there appears more of stern necessity than severity 
in these executions. Solomon acted by the counsel of his 
dying father in cutting off those men whose crimes had long 
merited punishment, and of whose fidelity he could have no 
s^ .arity. In the administration of justice upon these trai- 
tors and murderers, he also gratified the inclinations of his 
people and established the peace of his kingdom. 

The early part of his reign was uncommonly brilliant. 
" The Lord magnified him exceedingly in the sight of all 
Israel, and besto wed upon him such royal majesty as had not 
been before him on any king in Israel ;"f and the ground of 
this eminent favour was " that he loved the Lord, walking in 
the statutes of David his father.":): 

Shortly after his accession he held a solemn festival before 
the tabernacle of Moses at Gibeon. There in the presence 
of all the elders of Israel the young king paid his devotions 
to the Most High, and so acceptable was this service, that 
the same night a voice from heaven promised him whatever 

J 2 Sam. xii. 25. f 1 Chrwi. s^ix. 25. 



1286 SCRIPTURE BIOGRAPHY. 

he should desire. The magnitude of the offer did not beget 
atw improper desires in the miadof So omon. He had no 
wish for enlarged dominions, extensive conquests, great 
riches, or for a long life of glory and pleasure. To a yuung 
and active monarch some such objects would have been the 
most desirable, and even young persons in a far inferior sta- 
tion would, on such a proposal immediately have fixed their 
wishes upon wealth, renown, or pleasure. But Solomon had 
a higher ambition, and was only desirous of being truly a 
great king, by doing good to his subjects and by being able 
to administer judgment to them vvitn an equal hand. — * 
" Give me now," says he, lw wisdom and knowlege, that 1 m ty 
go out and come in b. fore this people z for wh>can jucige 
this people that is so great V* Tne petition of Solomon can- 
not be too seriously weighed and admired. He rightly 
judged that in praying for such a degree of ** isdom and 
knowlege as was necessary to the better government of his 
people, he was not only supplicating a blessing for himseif 
but for thc-m. Tne nature of that wisdom which he desired 
is also worthy our particular notice. It was not a depth of 
scientific knowlege, a minute acquaintance with the hidden 
powers of nature, a thorough understanding of all the pro- 
perties of matter and of mind, or a profound skill in tongues, 
for which he prayed, but for that wisdom which would en- 
able him to discharge the duties of his station for the glory of 
God and the general good. And this should be the aim of 
every man, let his rank in life or his pursuits be what they 
rnav. All knowlege that is not calculated to promote the 
divine honour, and the bentfit of our fellow creatures, il no 
injurious ;s at least usel ss. A man mav possess a very ac- 
curare acquaintance uith books and with the sciences, he 
may have his head rilled with the lumber of learning, and 
know all the events of history, yet with all this reputation 
of wisdom he max be a fool, because what he possesses is not 
applied to a single useful purpose. Let the conduct then of 
Solomon be a lesson of imitation to young persons, to study 
nothing without having a beneficial object in view; and let 
all their desires, prayers and pursuits, be directed to this end, 
Xi how they shall best serve God in their generation."" 

The choice of Solomon met with the divine approbation, 
and his wish was not only gratified, but to the promise oi the 
most extensive wisdom was added that of riches, honour^ 

* 2 Cbjon. i. 10. 



SOLOMON. 



287 



and length of days. No man ever lost by asking for divine 
instruction. The submission of our will ana reason lo the 
counsel of God is honouring him in the fullest sense, and 
we are assured that " those who honour him he will ho- 
nour. v * Solomon asked only lor the influence of the divine 
spirit to instruct him in the arduous employment of govern- 
ing a mighty nation, and as his request resulted from a 
pure wish to serve God and to do good, he received in addi- 
tion to his prayer, blessings, which, if he had supplicated, 
would not perhaps have been granted him. 

When this great solemnity at Gibeon was ended Solomon 
returned to Jerusalem, where he also publicly officiated in 
the great services of religion, a practice which could not 
but tend to produce the most beneficial effects upon the 
people. 

The pre-eminent wisdom of the young monarch soon be- 
came celebrated, and one remarkable circumstance occur- 
red which displayed his quick discernment and profound 
judgment in the strongest light. Two women who lived 
together were each delivered of a son, but in the night one of 
the infants died, on which the mother took the corpse and 
laid it beside the other woman as she slept, taking away the 
living child in its stead. This occasioned a violent contest 
between the women, and the matter was laid before the 
king, in whose presence each maintained her right to the 
living child. As there were no evidences to support the 
claim of either, the king ordered that the child should be di- 
vided between them. This dreadful sentence so operated 
upon the feelings of the real mother, that she readily relin- 
quished her pretensions in favour of her rival rather than 
witness the slaughter of her child. By this artifice Solo- 
mon discovered that she was the mother, and instantly 
caused the child to be delivered unto her. Justly therefore 
was the fame of his wisdom spread among the nations, and 
happy were the people that had such a prince to rule over 
them. He was not only careful to administer justice faith- 
fully and indiscriminately as well to the poor as to the rich 
but he studied to preserve his dominions in peace, and by 
his care and wisdom kt silver and gold became as plenteous- 
at Jerusalem as stones, and cedar trees as the sycamore trees 
that are in the vale for abundance."! 

by an attention to commerce he greatly enriched his siuV 

• X Sam.iii. SO. \ 2 Gfaron. i. 15, 



288 SCRIPTURE BIOGRAPHt. 

jects and acquired powerful allies. The principal of these. 
was Hiram, king of Tyre, a prince who possessed a most 
noble and liberal mind j for instead of entertaining any jea- 
lousy of Solomon's rising greatness he assisted him in his 
views, and permitted the Tyrians, then the most famous 
shipwrights and mariners in the world, to build him ships 
and to navigate them. The king of Israel being determined 
to fulfil his father's last solemn injunctions, of building a 
magnificent temple to the glory of God, communicated his 
intentions to the king of Tyre, requesting that he would 
provide him a person qualified to superintend the work, toge- 
ther with proper labourers, and such materials as were neces- 
sary. Hiram complied with the wish of his neighbour ; and 
this stricture, which never had a parallel, was prosecuted 
with eagerness, and consecrated in the most solemn manner. 
On that great festival Solomon appeared with distinguished 
glory, as the conductor of his people's devotions ; and the 
prayer which he pronounced at the dedication of the temple 
is an inimitable composition, being fervent, pathetic, so- 
lemn, and humiliating. It is the lowly language of a sinner 
bowing himself to the dust in the presence of his Creator,, 
and ackno.vleging that the greatest of hib performances is 
unworthv of the divine notice. 

The glory of God filled the house, and the fire from hea- 
ven consumed the victims that were offered upon the altar. 

What a happiness is it to see men of exalted station fulfill- 
ing the duties of religion, and setting a pious example to 
their inferiors and dependents ? iiut every one has the same 
duties to perform, and the same example to set, let his 
sphere of action be ever so narrow, and his place in life be 
ever so humble. When Solomon dedicated the temple, and 
renewed the covenant with the Lord, all eyes were upon 
him, and it was to be expected that in the subsequent part of 
his life he would conform to the declarations which he had 
made in the presence of all his people. 

For a long time indeed he continued faithful to God, and 
experienced in an abundant measure the divine favour upon 
himself and his kingdom. His name was known far and 
near, and so great was the renown of his wisdom, that the 
most exalted personag-s came from distant parts for the plea- 
sure of his instructive conversation. Among these the most 
remarkable was the queen of Sheba, whom our Lord calls 
" the queen of the south.*" Her journey seems tp have 

* Luke xi. 31. 



SOLOMON. 28? 

been very great, but the fame of this extraordinary prince 
was such that she readily undertook it, bringing with her u a 
very great company, and camels that bare spices, and gold 
in abundance, and precious stones ; and when she was come 
to Solomon, she communed with him of all that was in her 
heart.*" 

We cannot but admire the ardent love of wisdom which 
could animate this princess to such a degree as to induce her 
to leave her own dominions to visit a country of strangers. 
It is plain, from what our Saviour says, that u she came to 
hear the wisdom of Solomon," and should therefore rise up 
in judgment against that generation who would not hear 
him, that the intent of her journey was not to gratify an idle 
curiosity on matters of speculation, but to satisfy her mind 
on the most important points of religion. Well therefore 
did she merit the encomium bestowed upon her by the Re- 
deemer ; and well might he adduce her example as a re- 
proach to that unbelieving generation, who neglected to hear 
or to profit by the words of life delivered by him who was 
greater than Solomon. And will not this excellent queen 
equally appear as a witness against those who, in the full 
blaze of gospel light, wilfully shut their eyes against the 
truth, and will not receive the instructions of the King of 
Righteousness, which are " able to make them wise unto 
salvation ?" With what eagerness did this pious woman 
undertake a perilous journey to gain some information re- 
specting the things of God, and yet when eternal life is 
brought home to us, when saving grace is tendered for our 
acceptance, when the Mediator solicits us to be happy by 
yielding up our souls to him as an acceptable service, we 
renounce his overtures, and turn a deaf ear to his entreaties. 
Let the case before us, and the application which our Lord 
made of it, make a deep impression upon our hearts, and 
lead us with all humility and anxiety to the feet of the Re- 
deemer, where, like Mary, we may learn the lessons of hea- 
venly wisdom, and receive the consolations of eternal life. 

The greatest part of Solomon's reign was truly glorious ; 
but we are now to consider him as sullying his reputation, 
and that too at a period of time when the passions one 
should have thought would have been subdued, and when 
the principles of piety would have become habitual. His 
marriage with Pharaoh's daughter, which appears to have 

* 2 Chron. ix. 1, &'c 
1 O 



290 SCRIPTURE BIOGRAPHY. 

been in the early part of his life, has been considered hf 
some writers the occasion of his declension from the paths 
of religion and virtue. Bat this is not likely, for it is only- 
said in the account of his apostacy that, u he loved many- 
strange women, together with, or besides, the daughter of 
Pnaraoh, who was his lawful wife"* These women he 
collected from the neighbouring nations, and by them he was 
enticed to the most shameful acts of idolatry. Now, it is 
not said that Pharaoh's daughter had any concern in pervert- 
ing the heart of her husband from the true God. On the 
contrary, the cause of his rejecting the truth was his " love 
of many women ;" and thus by his conjugal infidelity he was 
led into apo tacy. If the forty- fifth psalm relates to his 
marriage with this princess, and if the Canticles are descrip- 
tive oPtheir mutual loves, as is generally supposed, then was 
she a type of the church, consequently it would be exceed- 
ingly injurious to suppose that a woman so honoured could 
be guilty of so great a sin. It is generally and justly con- 
cluded that Pharaoh's daughter was a proselyte to the Jew- 
ish faith ; and therefore if she had been disposed to alienate 
the mind of her husband from that faith, it would have been 
soon after their marriage, when her influence over him was 
at its greatest pitch. Let not the reputation, then, of this 
woman, whose praises are celebrated in some of the finest 
portions of holy writ., be injured on a vague conjecture, which 
has not a shadow of evidence for its support. 

It was his connection with s range women which disgrac- 
ed the close of Solomon's life ; and this lawless love drew 
him aside after the abominations of the heathen. Religion 
cannot dwell with impurity. Sensual indulgence will neces- 
sarily destroy all love of holiness, and the mind so contami- 
nated can never have any becoming sentiments of God, or 
any love of his precepts or ordinances. When Solomon 
nrsr gave way to his evil inclinations, it is probable that he 
had no thoughts of forsaking the faith and worship to which 
he had hitherto remained firm j but the descent to ruin is 
gradual and easy. By suffering his affections to be fascin- 
ated by the char nis of strange women he soon gave them an 
advantage over his principles. No sooner did they gain an 
influence over his heart, but it was easy for them to prevail 
upon him to renounce his God. And how often do we see 
instances of a similar kind ? Men who have been virtuous- 

* 1 Kings xi, 1. 



SOLOMON. SOI 

ly brought up, who have preserved a regular deportment, 
and have discharged their moral and religious duties with 
distinguished repuuuion, by one imprudent connexion have 
blasted their characters, lost their principles, and » ave be- 
come at length the direct contrast of what they were in times 
past. 

From such instances, then, let young persons in particu- 
lar learn the force oi that incontrovertible maxim, that kC evil 
communications corrupt good manners ;" and let them, 
above all things, Lear.i divine wisdom, which iw may keep 
them from the strange women, Irom the stranger that flatter- 
eth with her words."* Very striking indeed is the descrip- 
tion whicn Solomon gives of her, and m^st exactly does he 
paint the consequences which result from the success of her 
enchantments. " For the lips of a strange woman drop as 
an honey- comb, and her mouth is smoother than oil : but 
her end is bitter as wormwood, sharp as a two-edged sword. 
Her feet go down to death, her steps take hold on hell. Lest 
thou shouldestponderthe puhol liie, her ways are moveable, 
that thou canst not know them. Hear me now, therefore, 
O ye cnildren, and depart not from the words of my mouth. 
Remove thy way far from her, and come not nigh the door 
of her house, lest thou give thine honour u;to others, and 
thy years unto the cruel ; lest strangers be filled with thy 
wealth, and thy labours be in the house of a stranger, and 
thou mourn at the last, when thy flesh and thy body are con- 
sumed, and say, how have 1 hated instruction, and my heart 
despised reproof ; and have not obeyed the voice of my 
teachers, nor inclined mine ear to them that instructed me ! I 
was almost in all evil in the midst of the congregation and 
assembly."! 

If such a man as Solomon could not resist the blandish- 
ments of vice when he had suffered hi, affections to be en- 
snared, with what diligence should young and inexperienced 
minds shun the companv of the wanton, dissolute, and pro- 
fane ? We read of his unhappy fall, and we are told that 
it was followed by severe judgments upon his family and 
kingdom. Tne tranquillity which had hitherto distinguished 
his reign was broken by foreign enemies and by intestine 
feuds. Hadad, the Edomite, regained the throne of his an- 
cestors, which had been in the possession of the kings of Is- 
rael since the conquest of the country by Joab Rezon, the 

* Prov. ii. 16. f lb. v, fe- 14. 



2»a SCRIPTURE BIOGRAPHY. 

son of Eliadah, having lived by plunder, like the Arabians, 
now seized upon Damascus, and made himself king of that 
country. These two formed an alliance against Solon ion, 
and harrassed his dominions very much. To add to his evils, 
Nathan the prophet was commissioned to reprove him lor his 
odious apostacy, and to denounce this heavy judgment upon 
him, that his kingdom should be divided into ten parts, the 
greatest portion of which should be given to his servant -^ 
This divine message is supposed to have convinced Solomon 
of his sin, and to have wrought in him a thorough repentance. 
It is however certain that he became a sincere penitent at 
last, for the book of Ecclesiastes, in which he so patheti- 
cally describes the vanity and vexation of all worldly 
pursuits, was evidently written at the close of his life.— 
The end of this book sufficiently proves that Solomon had 
regained his religious principles, and was thoroughly hum- 
bled under the hand of God. " Let us hear the con- 
clusion of the whole matter," says he, " Fear God and 
keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of 
man. For God shall bring every work into judgment, 
with every secret thing, whether it be good or whether it 
be evil."* 

Let the fall of Solomon humble us in the estimation 
which we form of ourselves. The most brilliant talents 
may be prostituted to the vilest of purposes ; and they who 
possess them have great need of cautious watchfulness over 
their hearts, lest they fall into divers temptations. But 
in his recovery we have cau-e to admire the exceeding good- 
ness of God, not in restoring Solomon to his favour by a 
constraining power upon his will, but by sending his min- 
ister to set before him the nature of his offence and its dread- 
ful consequences. 

Happy was it for the fallen monarch that he listened to the 
voice of the prophet, and returned in penitence unto him 
whom he had so shamefully forsaken. His guilt was purged 
away, and he was again made the instrument of instructing 
the church of God. He died in the year of the world 3029, 
after having reigned forty years ; and was succeeded by his 
son Rehoboam, from whom the ten tribes revolted, agreea- 
ble to the word of the Lord, which was declared to his father 
by the prophet Nathan. 

There are three books in the sacred canon which are al- 

* Chap. xii. 13, 14. 



SOLOMON. 293 

lowed to have been written by Solomon. The first is the 
book ot Proverbs, the most admirable body of ethics in the 
world. u This book contains the maxims of long expe- 
rience, framed by one who was well calculated by his rare 
qualities and endowments to draw just lessons from a com- 
prehensive survey of human life ."* The next book in the 
canon is that of Ecclesiastes, in which he gives us the sum 
of his observations on human life and its pursuits, in the 
hour ot serious consideration and penitence. That which 
stands the last ought, perhaps, to have been the first in order. 
This is the book entitled ' 4 the Song of Solomon," but which 
the Chaldee paraphrast styles, " The Songs and Hymns 
which Solomon the prophet, the king of Israel, uttered in 
the spirit before the Lord." This, beyond a doubt, was an 
epithalamium, or marriage song, composed on the celebra- 
tion, of the nuptials between Solomon and the daughter of 
Pharaoh. But though the song had certainly a reference to 
the circumstances of a real marriage, yet, as the best writers 
Jewish and Christian agree, it must have also a farther appli- 
cation, for there are points and allusions in it which never 
could have belonged to the nuptials of Solomon. It bears 
all the marks of mystical allege y, and therefore it has in all 
ages been considered as a figurative representation of the 
union between Messiah and his church. 

As Solomon had, under the influence of the Holy Spirit, 
such clear views of the Redeemer, so was he in many im- 
portant and striking particulars an illustrious type of him. 

He was the child of promise and expectation, and his 
name and qualifications were announced to his father. by a 
messenger divinely appointed. Thus also was Christ the 
child of long and eager expectation to holy men of old ; the 
ancient church looked for him from ** the mountain of 
myrrh and from the hill of frankincense," or from the mys- 
tical heights and institutions of the law, with the impa- 
tience of those who watch u fur the morning light."f The 
name and glorious works of the Redeemer were revealed 
b) a heavenly messenger unto his virgin mother ; and when 
he entered the world a choir of angels proclaimed the k * Prince 
of P:ace." Solomon gave rest to his people, and our Em- 
manuel has rot only reconciled " all things that are in heaven 
and in earth," but he has purchased for all his faithful sub- 
jects an immortal rest in the kingdom of God. r 

« Gray's Key to O. T. p. 27*9. f Song iv. 6, 



m SCRIPTURE BIOGRAPHY, 

The king of Israel was eminently distinguished for his 
wisdom ; and to him came persons oi' the greatest rank to 
profi; by his instruction. Here also we are reminded of 
him Cw in whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and 
knowlege."* Christ is himself the Wisdom of God, and 
no one can know any thing as he should know concerning 
the divine will, or of the things which belong unto eternal 
life, but as he is instructed by the spirit who is the light of 
the world. 

Solomon immortalized his name by building the most 
magnificent edifice that ever u as constructed for the worship 
oi God. He spared neither labour, pains, nor expence to 
complete this stupendous work, ana to render it as far as 
hu nan pover could go, deserving of the adorable Being to 
whose service it was devoted. 

Tne S m of God is engaged in a far greater undertaking 
than this ; tor out of the ruins of the fall he is rearing a 
glorious building which shall stand for ever. Ht is gathering 
a cnurch out of all lands, against which the gates of hell 
shall not prevail. Though it may now be poor, and de- 
spised, and persecuted, yet in the fulness of time the wise 
master builder, who eas smitten for our transgressions, and 
rose again for ^ur justification, k% shall bring forth the head 
stone tnereof with tne shoutings of angels, crying, Grace, 
grace unto it.''f 

Solomon was numbered with his fathers in the city of 
Das id, but our Reel emer is exalted at the right hand of the 
throne of God, and abideth continual!) ; Solomon's cunning 
artists and numerous workmen have long since been for- 
gott.n, but the faithful servants oi Christ shall be had in 
everlasting remembrance, and shall shine as' the stars for 
ever and ever ; the extensive buildings of the king oi Israel 
have many ages since mouldered into decay, and not a trace 
of them remains j but the church of God still endures and 
shad outlive the wreck of the universe. They who are built 
upon this foundation shall not be moved, because they are 
estabiis led upon the rock of ages, who is the Lord oi life 
and glory. wv Biessed then are they who do his command- 
m nts, that they may have right to the tree of life, and 
may enter in through the gates into the city."? 

• Col. ii. 8. f Zech. iv, 7. ~ Rev. xxii. 14, 



( 29* ) 

ELIJAH. /2/>~§t*. 

Translated to heaven about the year of the world 61 08 

THE situations filled by some of the most illustrious 
scripture characters were so peculiar, and the commis- 
sions with which they were entrusted so extraordinary, that 
they cannot wholly be proposed for our imitation as < x- 
amples, though our faith and constancy must be strengthen- 
ed by a due consideration of their actions. As we are not 
called upon like them to stand forth in the presence of 
kings, or to execute the judgments of the Lord upon an 
apostate nation, we can only admire their zeal, and that di- 
vine power which operated in them to the reformation of 
public abuses. It would be the most arrogrnt and impious 
presumption in any man to set himself up after the manner 
of those worthies, as the minister of divine wrath, without 
having as plain a commission as they possessed, and that 
commission confirmed by the power of working miracles. 
Yet in an inferior degree w e may fitly take them for an ex- 
ample, as far as relates to a strict obedience of the divine 
commands, a generous renunciation of worldly advantages, 
and a steady opposition to the corrupt principles and maxims 
of an evil generation. 

The life and character of the prophet Elijah present to us 
a noble picture of disinterested zeal and fervent piety. He 
was raised up by the Almighty in a time of almost universal 
apostacy, when from the king on the throne to the meanest 
peasant there was a general departure from the truth 

He was a native of Tishbeh, a city of Gilead, and began 
to prophecy about the year of the world 3098, when Ahab, 
the most wicked of the kings of Israel, reigned in Samaria. 
This monarch appears to have been perverted to idolatry by 
his marriage with Jezebel, daughter of Ethbaal, king of the 
Zidonians ; and this furnishes another instance of the dan- 
ger that results from imprudent connexions. It is said, 
" that there was none that did work wickedness in the sight 
of the Lord like Ahab, whom Jezebel his wife stirred up."* 
Her persuasions appear to have subdued even the natural 
dictates of conscience ; and her influence on his affections 
prevailed with him to commit the most atrocious offences, 
contrary to the natural bent of his inclinations. By her 

• 1 Kings xji, 25- 



*y& SCRIPTURE BIOGRAPHY. 

means Ahab was not only prevailed with to tolerate idolatry," 
and to give it countenance bf his own presence, but he was 
induced to make it the national religion, and to substitute 
the worship of Baal throughout his dominions instead of 
that of Jehovah. 

Thus did the counsels of an abandoned woman, and the 
criminal indulgence of a simple monarch, reduce the Is- 
raelitish church to ruins, and cover the land with the most 
abominable profanations. Matters seem to have gone on 
for some years in this deplorable way, when Elijah received 
the divine command to denounce the judgments of the 
Lord to Ahab. How gracious is the Almighty even in the 
midst of the greatest provocations ! He forbears long with 
the crying sins of a people, and when his justice can with- 
hold punishment no longer, it shall not be inflicted till a 
previous warning be given, that b\ a timely repentance the 
stroke may be averted. The man of God at last declares 
boldly to the apostate King, " that there shall be neither 
dew or rain on the land for three successive years."* 

The denunciation, though pronounced in the most autho- 
ritative manner, and with a solemn appeal to heaven, failed 
in producing any salutary effects upon the insensible heart of 
Ahab. The word of the prophet was fulfilled, and the land 
was parched up on account of the wickedness of them that 
dwelt therein. But the Lord provided for his faithful ser- 
vant, who had, regardless of his own personal safety, de- 
livered his message to the abandoned monarch. 

Elijah abode by the brook Cherith, where he was regu- 
larly supplied " by ravens with bread and flesh in the morn- 
ing, and bread and flesh in the evening ; and he drank o£ 
the brook." 

He was not directed beforehand to lay in a supply of pro- 
visions and water, in order that his faith might be tried, and 
that he might learn from day to day his dependence upon 
divine Providence. But are we to encourage ourselves from 
this extraordinary instance, in the expectation that Grid will 
supply our wants without the proper exercise of our facul- 
ties and the due improvement of our talent ? By no means. — 
In so doing we should be guilty of tempting the Lord, who 
requires us to be industrious in our callings, and to make 
use of those means which he has ordained in an ordinary 
course for our subsistence. 

* 1 Kings xxvl 1j 



ELIJAH. 895J 

One reason why Elijah was thus miraculously sheltered 
and supported, was, that it was a season of persecution, and 
when, if he had been discovered, the vengeance of the wicked 
Ahab, and of the degenerate and discontented nation, might 
have fallen upon him, as the author of the public calamity. 
Let no person, then, however pious he may be, and how 
ever strong in faith, abandon his ordinary business, or that 
line of lile in which God has placed him, under an idea 
that Providence wiil take extraordinary ways for his parti- 
cular maintenance. It is indeed our duty to believe that 
God equally will take as much care of us as he did of Elijah, 
but it is our duty to do all that we possibly can, agreeable to 
the precepts of holy writ, for the support of ourselves and 
families. 

The brook Cherith at length dried up, and the ravens 
failed in their attendance. Was this intended to drive Eli- 
jah to despondency ? Rather it seems designed to draw the 
prophet from his seclusion, and to convince him that it was 
now full time for him to enter again into the world, and to 
exert himself in that important mission to which the special 
command of heaven had appointed him. 

" Arise," saith the Lord, " get thee to Zarephath, which 
belongeth to Zidon, and dwell there ; behold I have com- 
manded a widow woman there to sustain thee."* 

Elijah, who had readily followed the command of his 
God in retiring to that lonely spot, with equal readiness 
obeyed this injunction also, and set out for the place that 
was appointed him. All places are alike to him who fol- 
lows the divine direction, and consults the will of the Lord 
in every step of his life. The crowded city and the solitary 
desart will be endured with the same evenness of temper by 
hiin whose passions are calmed down into an entire submis- 
sion to the will of God. Those changes and croBses which 
perplex other minds, only serve to animate his faith, and to 
quicken him in his duty. 

The same divine hand which conducted Elijah to Zare- 
phath led the poor widow to the gate of the city to gather a 
few sticks. Worldly wisdom would have provided an asy- 
lum for the prophet beneath the roof of some opulent citizen, 
but Providence directed that the cottage of a disconsolate 
and abject widow should be his abode. Elijah was con- 
tented with the humble condition that was allotted him ; 

* 1 Kinsrs xvii. 9. 
2 P 



S9S SCRIPTURE BIOGRAPHY. 

and on seeing the poor woman with whom he was to dwell, 
he desired her to give him a little water to drink. The boon 
requested was of great consequence in that time of general 
scarcity, and Elijah was an utter stranger. It is probable 
that the appearance of the prophet was but mean, since he 
"had for a considerable time resided in a desolate place, and 
had now taken a long journey ; but the benevolent female, 
attending only to his necessity, immediately went to fetch 
some water to quench his thirst. To try her yet more, the 
man of God ventured to ask her for some bread. This was 
a very bold request at such a deplorable season, and to a 
'person so wretched, but she did not petulantly refuse it. — r 
Her miseries had not hardened her heart, or made her chur- 
lish and envious. She was ready to assist and relieve the. 
-wayfaring stranger as far as lay in her power ; but to take 
her last morsel from herself and child, this was too much. 
Yet her answer was respectful and pious ; " As the Lord thy 
God liyeth I have not a cake, but an handful of meal in a 
barrel, and a 'ittle oil in a cruse ; and behold 1 am gathering 
two sticks, that I may go in and dress it for me and my son, 
that we may eat it and die." She does not absolutely deny 
the request of the prophet, but tells him a simple and a most 
affecting tale. She is driven now to the last dregs of her 
scanty stock of provisions, without the least hope of a fur- 
ther supply. Still there is not a murmuring or a reproachful 
word in her reply. She is perfectly resigned to the will of 
Providence, and views the death of herself and son as in- 
evitable, but it is with calmness and fortitude. The prophet 
does not stop here. He repeats his request, and even in 
terms of authority, directing her to make him a cake first, 
and after that for herself and her son.. u What," might she 
not have said, u wouldestthou have me deprive my darling 
child of the only poor morsel which is left to preserve his 
life to bestow it on one w-ho is wholly unknown to me ? — - 
Or must I, regardleso of his importunities and tears, prepare 
a cake for thee before his hunger is appeased ? Unfeeling 
man, it would have been most unjust to ask me to divide 
with the e x the only remnant of food that is left for myself, 
but it is the height of insolence and cruelty to demand that 
thy wants should be first supplied out of the handful of meal 
that is left to us ?" 






E-LTJAH. S9& 

There are few who would have seen cause to censure the. 
poor widow if she had expressed herseli even in sharp- r 
terms than these ; \ et she did not reprove the man of God 
at all. Me did, it is true, declare in the name of the Lord 
God of Israel, u that the barrel of meal should not waste, 
nor the cruse of oil fail, until the day that the Lord should 
send rain upon the earth ;" but was this assertion calculated 
to remove her apprehensions of perishing by want, or to in- 
spire her with confidence in the prophet ? No. She saw 
the very man who promised such mighty and improbable 
things, himself a suppliant for a draught of water to quench 
his thirst. Might she not then have said, U If thou pos- 
sessest the gift of prophecy, and the power of working mi- 
racles, why art thou thus desolate, and miserable, and hun- 
gry ? It ill suits those lofty pretensions that thou art now 
begging a morsel of bread of one who has but a single meal 
left for herself and child r" Let us besides consider that this 
poor widow was a Zidonian, and consequently a stranger to 
the com mon wealth of Israel, and to the covenant of pro- 
mise. Marvellous then was her faith that, instead of civil- 
ly refusing the prophet's demand, she could rely upon his 
word: " And she went and did according to the saying of 
Elijah ; and she, and he, and her house did eat many days. 
And the barrel of meal wasted not, neither did the cruse of 
oil fail, according to the word of the Lord which he spake 
by Elijah." 

Here, may we not pause, and say, © woman of Zareph ath r 
great indeed, unspeakably great was thy faith ! 

She trusted the declaration of the man of God, and took 
him into her house, by which means she not only procured 
temporal food, but the "bread of life." During the pro- 
phet's residence in the house of the poor widow, her son, the 
hope and stay of her old age, fell sick and died. This in- 
deed was a grievous trial both to her and Elijah. She could 
not help venting her complaint in keen expressions of agony 
to the man of God, and he was no less concerned for her 
sake. He poured out his prayer to God on her behalf, and 
in answer to his earnest importunity the child was restored 
to life. The ways of heaven are exceedingly mysterious, 
and things are oftentimes left to the utmost extremity, that 
man may see and acknowlege the salvation of the Lord. — 
Had the prophet restored the child to health, the gratitude of 
the mother might have been warm and fervent, but perhaps 



GOO SCRIPTURE BIOGRAPHY. 

she would have stopped with barely feeling her obligations to 
the instrument, instead of raising her faith and thankfulness 
to the God of Elijah. The child, therefore, was suffered 
even to die, that by his miraculous restoration to life the mo- 
ther might learn a full dependence upon the true God ; and 
that even the faith of Elijah himself might receive addition- 
al strength. That this extraordinary miracle, the first of the 
kind upon record, had this effect is evident ; for when the 
enraptured prophet presented the child to his transported 
mother with these emphatic words, u See, thy son liveth !" 
this was her pious and grateful confession, " Now, by this I 
know that thou art a man of God, and that the word of the 
Lord in thy mouth is truth." Are we disposed to think that 
if this had happened to us we should have had the same faith 
and gratitude ? Let us consider what astonishing deliveran- 
ces we have experienced, for which we have never erected 
an altar of praise, or once bowed our knees in gratitude ; 
how many times have we been raised from the bed of sick- 
ness, and snatched as it were from the very jaws of the grave, 
for which we have never acknowleged the goodness of God, 
nor uttered a single word of thanksgiving to him for his 
mercies ! If we reflect, then, upon our own insensibility and 
forgetfulness, we shall read the story of the widow of Za- 
rephath, and blush for ourselves. 

Elijah continued to reside with this good woman many 
days ; or, until the end of the period during which, accord- 
ing to the word of the Lord, he had declared to Ahab 
that there should be no rain upon the earth. At the 
end of thac time he was commanded to present himself again 
before that monarch, upon whose heart even this visitation 
had effected no change. So grievous was the famine, that 
Ahab and his principal servant, Obadiah, went through the 
land in different directions in search of water for the cattle. 
On the way Obadiah was met by the prophet, and as soon as 
he discovered him " he fell on his face, and said, Art thou 
that my lord Elijah ?" The servant was not like his master. 
The evil practices of Ahab and Jezebel had not contaminated 
the heart of good Obadiah, but he retained his integrity even 
in the very midst of corruption. Here also the goodness 
and wisdom of the Lord were manifest, for this man by his 
situation was enabled to shelter a hundred prophets in a time 
of most grievous persecution. Thus does the Almighty 
provide a protector for his church and people in the very bo- 



ELIJAH. aoi 

I of their inveterate enemies. In the profligate court of 
Ahab, there was a righteous Obadiah, who took care of the 
afflicted servants ot God ; and in the very worst of times, 
and amidst the most corrupt people, there will be found some 
who stand steadfast in the faith, and who prove u the salt of 
the earth." 

Elijah directed Ohadiah to inform Ahab of his arrival. — 
The command greatly afflicted the pious man, who was ah aid 
that if he told his master Elijah was come, and in the mean 
time the spirit of the Lord should convey him away, his life 
■would be the penalty of his false intelligence. Ahab had 
spared no pains to find the prophet, and had even exacted an 
oath of all his subjects that they found him not, extending the 
same rigid enquiry among the neighbouring nations. Elijah 
removed the apprehensions of Obadiah by a solemn assever- 
ation that he must see Ahab that very day. The king, on 
hearing that Elijah was come, went to meet him ; but instead 
of being confounded in the presence of God's minister, 
whose awful warning had been so exactly accomplished, he 
had the audacious effrontery to say, u Art thou he that trou- 
bled! Israel ?"* 

Alas ! how common is it for the wicked to accuse the 
righteous as being the robbers of their comfort and repose ! 
Instead of attributing the judgments which they experience 
to their sins, and of considering calamity as the just punish- 
ment of God for their transgressions, they regard those who 
endeavour to convince them of the truth as the u troublers of 
their peace," and as gloomy and uncharitable bigots. 

Elijah thus nobly retorted the accusation of Ahab, " I 
have not troubled Israel, but thou and thy father's house, in 
that ye have forsaken the commandments of the Lord, and 
thou hast followed lialim." He then required of the king 
to convene all the false prophets on Mount Carmel, in the 
sight of all Israel. That the haughty monarch should obey 
the command of the man whom he considered as his great- 
est enemy, is only to be accounted for by supposing that he 
thought it would be a good opportunity to put him to death. 
Let this be as it may, Ahab did as he was directed, and, at 
the time appointed, there appeared only Elijah, opposed to 
eignt hundred and fifty false prophets, supported by the pre- 
sence of the king and his people. 

When we cast our eye upon mount Carmel, and figure toour- 



1 Ki gs kviE. 17, 






502 SCRIPTURE BIOGRAPHY* 

selves the man of God in this perilous situation, surrounded 
hy the most formidable enemies, we almost tremble tor his 
Safety. But Elijah stands undaunted before this mighty as- 
sembly, and fearless of the sanguinary tyrant and his bloody 
priests, he thus boldly addresses the people : * % How long 
halt ye between two opinions ? If the Lord be God follow 
him but if Baal then follow him." Nothing could be more 
convincing than this demand, yet the people, perhaps afraid 
of the vengeance of their monarch, remained silent. Thus, 
fa; indeed their silence looks well, that it was at least re- 
spectful, and they did not, out of complaisance to their so- 
ver; ign, offer any insult to the prophet. 

Elijah then proposed that a sacrifice should be offered by 
the false prophets, to their idol, and that one should be offer- 
ed by himself to the Lord, and that the " God who answered 
fey fire should be regarded as the true God " 

The challenge was fair and honourable. The idolatrous 
priests could not well refuse it, and the people by their si- 
fence gave it their approbation. Baal's priests accordingly 
male great preparations, and, after their manner, cut them- 
selves with knives to invoke the presence of their deity.— 
Elijah waited with much patient dignity, and when he saw 
how they vexed and tortured themselves in vain, he jeered 
them, under the appearance of stirring them up to new ex- 
ertions. How forcible is the irony with which he treats these 
deceivers ! " Cry aloud," says he, for he is a god ; either 
lie is talking, or he is pursuing, or peradventure he sleepeth, 
and must be awaked." Instead of being convinced by this 
sharp and powerful rebuke, the priests renewed their cries 
and their ceremonies, but Baal heard them not. 

When they had thus consumed the greatest part of the day, 
Elijah arose, and with great solemnity prepared an altar, and 
laid the victim thereon. Then he caused water to be poured 
in abundance three times over the sacrifice, after which he 
addressed a fervent prayer to Jehovah on the behalf of his 
people IsraeL He had scarcely ended when the celestial fire 
came down and wholly consumed " the burnt sacrifice, and 
the wood, and the stones, and the dust, and licked up the 
water that was in the trench," 

So awful and miraculous a display of divine power at once 
carried conviction home to the hearts of the people, a-.d they 
cried out, u The Lord he is the God, the Lord he is the 
God." 



ELIJAH. SOS 

Elijah then commanded them to execute summary justice 
upon the priests of B lal, which was done instantly, so that 
not a man of them escaped. Ahab himself did not interposes 
his authority to save these deceivers, or to check the zeal of 
his people ; and perhaps the miracle which he had witnessed 
filled his mind with a momentary apprehension that the divine: 
vengeance would fall upon his own head. 

The man of God did not treat him with reproach in the 
sight of the people, but gave him an assurance that there 
would soon be an abundance of rain. As Ahab rode on in 
haste to Jczreel, Elijah ran before him ; but on the same day 
he was obliged to flee from thence to avoid the inveterate 
malice of Jezebel, who, on hearing of the slaughter of her 
favourite priests, vowed the immediate death of the pro- 
phet. 

At the divine command Elijah fled to Horeb, the mount 
of God, where he was favoured with a manifestation of the 
divine presence in a very remarkable manner. First, a great 
and strong wind rent the mountains, and broke in pieces the 
rocks ; then an earthquake, and after that a fire, but the 
Lord, it is said was not in either of these. After the fire 
Elijah heard a still small voice, and immediately the prophet 
recognized the divine presence. It was in this very mount 
that the law was first delivered with thunderings and light- 
nings and the sound of a trumpet ; and in this day of visita- 
tion for the iniquities of Israel deeper terrors are exhibited 
before the prophet receives his commission. But these aw- 
ful signs are only to usher in the divine majesty. God pre- 
pares his way to the heart by the terror of his judgments, 
but when he comes himself it is in love, and goodness, and 
in " a still small voice of comfort and encouragement." 
Happy is it for us if, after the gusts and flashes of the law, 
we have heard the soft voice of evangelical mercy. * 

Elijah complained that he had been very jealous for the 
Lord God of Hosts, but that notwithstanding all his la- 
bours idolatry overspread the land, and that he only of all 
the prophets was left, " and they seek my life," says he, 
" to take it away." From hence it is evident, that the 
prophet, great as he was, began to yield to despondency, 
and to think that the case was so hopeless that there wa3 
no farther occasion for his services. But the Almighty 
judged otnerwise, and commanded him to enter the world 



S04 SCRIPTURE BIOGRAPHY. 

again, and to anoint Hazael king over Syria, Jehu king 
ovt Israel, and Elishato be prophet in his room. He was 
also cold, for his encouragement, that the state of Israel 
was not so wholly abandoned as he had imagined ; for, 
says the Lord, u I have left me seven thousand which have 
not bowed unto Baal, nor kissed him." And is not this an 
encouragement to the virtuous in the worst of times, that, 
notwithstanding their gloomy apprehensions the Lord hath 
his secret ones, his faithful servants, who, in the midst of 
an evil generation, still retain their integrity, and yield not 
their hearts or lips to the prevailing abominations ? 

From this incident we may learn also not to pronounce a 
hasty judgment upon a people at large, or even upon indivi- 
duals, but to hope for the best even under the most forbid- 
ing appearances. 

Elijah departed from Horeb as he was directed, and on 
the way he was joined by Elisha, whom the Lord had called 
to be his successor. 

Once more did the man of God present himself before 
Ahab, bat it was on a very shocking occasion. The king 
having a desire for the vineyard of Naboth, which adjoined 
his own palace, wanted to purchase it. Nothing was more 
disgraceful among the Israelites than to sell their patrimonial 
land, and therefore Naboth refused Ahab's request, which 
affected him so much that he fell sick The occasion of his 
indisposition being discovered by Jezebel, that infamous 
woman immediately reviled her husband for his weakness, ia 
not wresting by force that which was denied to his entreaty. 
She then took the management of the affair into her own 
hands, and caused Naboth to be put to death as a traitor 
and a blasphemer. When this inhuman act was over she 
tauntingly made Ahab arise, and take possession of the co- 
ve 7 ed vinevard. But while he was feasting his eyes with his 
ill purchased spot of ground terror met him in the person of 
Elijah, who pronounced this just sentence upon him: "In 
the place where dogs licked the blood of Naboth shall dogs 
lick thy blood even thine." 

The answer of Ahab shews the agitation of a guilty con- 
science in the most striking manner : " Hast thou found 
me, O mine enemy ?"* The faithful monitor is always 
regarded by the wicked as a troublesome intruder, and as 
the enemy of his quiet. Even conscience itself is thus 

* 1 Kings xx. 2Q. 



ELIJAH. 305 

Ureaded, and the guilty wretch endeavours, by every me- 
thod he can devise, to escape from her remonstrances, and 
to harden himself against her denunciations. But the voice 
of judgment will at last be heard ; conviction must at some 
time or other pierce through the avenues of the heart ; and 
fear and terror will, in the end, produce either repentance 
or despair. The prophet replied, u I have found thee ; 
and proceeded in denouncing the catalogue of woes which 
should fall on him and his posterity, as also upon his im- 
pious consort. 

Of Elijah we read no more till after the death of Ahab, 
when Ahaziah reigned over Israel. This monarch in a dan- 
gerous illness sent some of his servants to Baal-zebub, the 
idol of Ekron, to enquire whether he should recover. On 
the way they were met by Elijah, who commanded them to 
return to their master with a declaration that his death was 
certain, as a judgment for renouncing the God of Israel to 
enquire of a pagan oracle. When the king heard this sen- 
tence, and understood that it had been delivered by Elijah, 
he sent a troop of soldiers to apprehend him. But when 
they came to the prophet, and demanded him to go with 
them, the fire of heaven descended and consumed the whole 
company. The king, regardless of this awful event, sent 
another troop, who perished in the same manner. This 
judgment failed to intimidate Ahaziah, though he was 
afraid of dying himself, and he dispatched a third com- 
pany. The leader of this band earnestly supplicated the 
prophet to spare his life and the lives of the men which 
were with him, and the Lord commanded Elijah to go 
down with them to the king. In the chamber of the mo- 
narch did the* prophet repeat his former declaration, and 
the power of the Almighty shielded him from his malice. 
This was the last public act in Elijah's most extraordinary 
life. Warned of his approaching departure he left the 
schools of the prophets over which he had presided, and, 
accompanied by Elisha, went over the Jordan, the waters 
of which he divided with his mantle. On a sudden ap- 
peared a chariot of fire and horses of fire, and parted them 
both asunder, '« and Elijah went up by a whirlwind into 
heaven."* 

^ This was the second instance of the kind from the crea- 
tion of the world, and it was doubtless intended like that to. 

* 1 Kings ii. 11, 
2Q 



SOS SCRIPTURE BIOGRAPHY. 

confirm the great doctrine of a future state. In this respect,, 
but in this alone, Elijah resembled the great Redeemer of 
the church, who hath rt brought life and immortality to light 
through the gospel." 

This great prophet and St. John the Baptist are usually 
considered as parallels ; and the latter is indeed often called 
by the express name of Elias, which has led some to suppose, 
but certainly very erroneously, that he actually was the Tish- 
bite himself. But the reason why this name was given to 
him could only be on account of a resemblance in character, 
circumstances, and ministry. They were both men of in* 
flexible austerity of manners ; they were both sent to de- 
nounce the vengeance of heaven against a degenerate nation, 
and to call sinners to repentance by a display of the fiery 
judgments of the law. 

On one glorious occasion more did Elijah appear upon 
earth, when with the illustrious legislator of the Jews, he 
descended on Mount Tabor, and held a mysterious con- 
ference with the Messiah, it was indeed a glorious sight to- 
behold Moses the promulgator of the law ; Elijah, the great 
restorer of it when it lav buried in ruins and covered with 
corruption ; and Jesus Christ, the Son of God, and the 
blessed fulfiller of all righteousness, assembled together as it 
were in consultation upon the great work of human redemp- 
tion. Tnen indeed was visibly made conspicuous that beau- 
tiful and affecting declaration of the psalmist : u Mercy and 
truth have met together j righteousness and geace have ki^v* 1 
^d each other."*" 

* Ps. lxxxv. Xfr 



( sor 3 

ELISHA. Jty-L /Jet-jut* 
Died anno mundi 3163. 

WHEN men of extraordinary piety and usefulness are 
taken away, we are apt to adopt the complaint of the 
psalmist : " Help, Lord, for the godly man ceaseth ; for the 
faithful fail from among the children of men."* But though 
our regret may be allocable, as far as it flows from zeal for 
the cause of religion, yet it may extend beyond justifiable 
bounds ; when by regarding the loss of those excellent per* 
sons as irremediable, we seem to betray a want of confidence 
in the Almighty pilot, who will not leave his church to the 
rude storms of the world, but will safely guide it into the 
desired haven. Nor will he be without a succession of 
faithful servants to carry on that work which he has planned, 
and which must be perfected in glory. When Elijah was 
removed from the world great concern prevailed in the 
schools of the prophets, and much enquiry was made after 
him, but it was soon discovered that his gifts were multiplied 
in the person of his successor ; and they who mourned for 
Elijah as a loss not to be repaired, now rejoiced in Elisha as 
an inestimable blessing. 

This great man was following the plough of his father 
when Elijah cast his mantle over him, and called him to the 
prophetical office. Immediately did Elisha yield obedience 
to the appointment ; and though it was at a time when no- 
thing could be obtained by it but trouble and persecution, 
yet he readily renounced father and mother, and house and 
friends, for the sake of the kingdom of heaven. From that 
time "he ministered unto Elijah," or became his imme- 
diate disciple and constant attendant. He was honoured 
with witnessing the translation of his master, and agreeable 
to his own request obtained with the falling mantle of Elijah 
a double portion of his spirit. After his master's assump- 
tion Elisha measured his steps back by the way in which he 
came, and when he arrived at the brink of the Jordan opened 
to himself a passage as Elijah had done. The action was 
observed by the sons of the prophets, who in consequence 
of it readily yielded him obedience as the successor of the 
illustrious head who had been taken from them. 

The number and greatness of the miracles wrought b\ 

* Ps, xii. 1. 



nm SCRIPTURE BIOGRAPHY. 

Elisha far exceeded those of his predecessor, and in many re> 
spects bore a nearer resemblance to those of Christ than 
what were performed by any other prophet. 

On the translation of his master he went and resided for 
a time at Jericho, which, though pleasantly situated, was 
destitute of wholesome water, and the land around it was 
barren. At the request of the inhabitants Elisha healed the 
"waters, and even changed the nature of the soil. The 
manner of his performing this miracle is worthy of obser- 
vation. He cast salt into the spring, and the streams were 
purified. Does not this teach us that as the heart of man 
is the fountain of evil, purifying grace must begin there in 
correcting its principles and motives ere there can possibly 
be any effectual reformation of life ? If the spring of action 
is foul all that flows from it will be evil, and the soil will be 
unfruitful of good works. There cannot, then, be any be- 
neficial change of life till the heart is first cleansed from the 
love of sin, and made to delight in holiness. 

We have now witnessed a miracle of mercy, the next is 
an awful display of judgment. As Elisha was removing 
from Jericho to Bethel there met him a company of chil- 
dren, who instead of reverencing the gray hairs and sacred 
office of the prophet followed him with reproaches^ crying, 
*' Go up. thou baldhead." The expression seems to imply 
a mockery of the story of Elijah's assumption. Great how- 
ever must have been the iniquity of the Bethelites to pro- 
voke the meek Elisha to pronounce the divine vengeance 
upon their children.. The dreadful sentence was delivered 
in the name of the Lord, and instantly two she-bears rushed 
from the woods, and slew forty-two of them.^ We may 
well pause upon this affecting circumstance, and stand in 
awe of the tremendous judgments of God. Bethel had 
long been distinguished ass the residence of the prophets ; 
but a sad declension appears now to have taken place.— 
Notwithstanding their eminent privileges the Bethelites were 
sunk in profaneness and infidelity, else their children "would 
not have treated the minister of God in this reproachful 
manner, nor would so signal a mark of divine displeasure 
have punished their crime. Elisha was going to fix his 
abode at Bethel, as being, agreeable to its name, the " house 
oi God ;" but on approaching the place he found that the 
fear of God was departed from the people, and therefore 

* 2 Kinq-s ii. 24 



ELISHA. 30* 

th? crying iniquities of the parents were sorely punished in 
this jud their children. And shall not the Lord 

of all the earth do right ? Is he accountable unto us for any 
ot his acts, even those which human pride is apt to treat as 
irreconcilable with justice? Let us reflect how often thou- 
sands of infants hav^ been swept away by a devouring pesti- 
lence, or been swallowed up by a i earthquake; and when 
we can account for these visitations, then we may censure 
the wt word of the Lord, which ue spake by the prophet 
Elisha." 

From this incident parents may 'earn what an obligation 
they live under to bring their children up in the u nurture, 
1. e. discipline, and admonition of the Lore'."* It is their 
duty to instil into the infant minds ot their offspring a pro- 
found reverence for religion, for its ordinances, and for its 
ministers* If by their neglect, connivance, or encourage- 
ment their children should get a habit of mocking sacred 
things, treating disrespectfully religious persons, violating 
the sabbath, or of profaning the name ot the Most High, 
they may l^e assured that a severe account will one day be 
exacted of them for those evils which, by timely care, they 
might have prevented* How many who have fallen vic- 
tims to lawless pleasure, or been cut off from society by the 
hand of justice, have in their last moments had reason to be- 
wail, if not to curse, the criminal indulgence and examples of 
their parents ? If therefore parents would not have their de- 
clining years rendered miserable by being witnesses of their 
children's ingratitude, impiety, and punishment, let them 
thoroughly attend to, and carefully practise the wise man's 
counsel : ( " Train up a child in the way he should go. and when 
he is old he will not depart from it."f And let children, and 
even young ones too, learn from this melancholy story to 
avoid evil wordS and reproaches, and pay due respect to aged 
persons. 

Bethel was no longer worthy of being honoured with the 
presence of the prophet, and therefore he proceeded onto 
Samaria, where for a time he fixed his residence. 

We next meet with him attending the armies of Israel, 
Judah, and Edom, which were confederated against the 

* Ephes. vi. 4 Paidia, which our translators have rendered here 
nurture, is in other places more properly translated chastening, or correction, 
as in Heb. \ i. 11. 

t Prov. xxii. 6. 



31* SCRIPTURE BIOGRAPHF. 

jVIoabites. The allies were drawn into a most critical skua* 
tion, and vyere in as much danger of perishing from the 
want of water as from the attack of the enemy. In this di- 
lemma the kings waited upon Elisha, that he might enquire 
of the Lord for them. Till men are reduced to calamity, 
and are in hazard of perishing, they have seldom any incli- 
nation to ask counsel of the Lord. These kings had equally 
neglected God and his prophet in the commencement and 
progress of this expedition ; but now they can be submis- 
sive aid devout when they sta id in need of the divine inter- 
position. Two of these kings were idolaters j but Jehosa- 
phat, king of Judah, remained steadfast in the worship of 
Jehovah. In regard to him, therefore, Elisha vouchsafed to 
seek the Lord, and received an assurance that they should 
not only be delivered fro n their present distress, but prove 
victorious ovrr their enemies. The event confirmed the 
prediction, but this neither converted the Edomitish mo- 
narch, nor produced reformation of Jehoram, king of Is- 
rael. ^ 

The sacred history has recorded a series of miracles 
wrought by Elisha as in quick succession, though we" may 
well suppose that there were intervals between them, during 
which he was employed as a preacher of righteousness, and 
as the president of the college of prophets. The first is that 
of multiplying the poor widow's pot o/ oil, by which she 
was enabled to satisfy the demands of an inexorable credi- 
tor, and to rescue her two sons from bondage. The woman's 
ease was truly pitiable. Her husband had been a prophet of 
the Lord, and a faithful one. It shews the lamentable de- 
clension to which religion must have have been reduced at 
that time, when an Israelite could have so little regard for 
the widow and orphans of a prophet, as to seize the youths 
as bondmen for the debt of their father. The debt, how- 
ever, was just, and Elisha would not sanction any thing like 
dishonesty, though the conduct of the creditor was most in- 
human. 'The pot of oil was miraculously encreased, 

and there was not only a sufficient quantity to discharge the 
debt, but enough left to maintain the family afterwards, — 
No part was to be appropriated to their own benefit till their 
debts were first paid, intimating to us that a scrupulous re- 
gard to justice is one of the first principles of religion. 

The next circumstance in the story of Elisha is one of the 
most beautiful and instructive in the book of God. In his 



ELISHA. 311 

frequent visits to Shunem the prophet was particularly no- 
ticed by a person of distinction, or, according to the lan- 
guage of scripture, kfc a great woman." She was indeed, 
great, not only in worldly substance, but in qualities of a 
more valuable nature in humility, benevolence and in piety. 
She invited PLlisha to her house as oft as he passed that way, 
and at length importuned her husband to build a room apart 
by itself for the prophet which she furnished with all things 
necessary for his use. As generous minds are never easy 
till they have repaid, in some degree or other, the obligations 
which have been conferred on them, Elisha called for this 
Snunemite, and, after acknovvleging her kindness and care, 
asked what return he should make : u Wouldest thou," says 
he, " be spoken for to the king, or to the captain of the 
host ?"* The question presented a fair opportunity to an 
ambitious mind to gratify itself amply for having incurred a 
trifling expence. Many bestow favours with the view of 
receiving a large return, though in their professions they ap- 
pear to be wholly moved by a disinterested principle. This 
was not the case vv ith the Shunemite. Ker answer to the 
offer of Elisha at once shews a contented and a liberal mind. 
" I dwell " says she, " among mine own people." She judi- 
ciously considered that the happiness which she enjo\cd 
in the bosom of her family and in the circle of her friends 
was far preferable to the favour of princes and o the splen- 
dour of a court. Elisha being at a loss what farther to pro- 
pose, his servant intimated that the good Shunemite was 
without a child. On this the prophet called her again, and 
gave her the promise of a son, which seemed so incredible, 
under all circumstances, that she said, " Nav, my lord, thou 
man of God, do not lie unto thy handmaid." But the de- 
claration of Elisha was accomplished, and she had the plea- 
sure of embracing a son in her old age. But temporal bless- 
ings are of uncertain duration, and the Almighty oftentimes 
sees fit to take them from us, that our hearts may not be too 
much set upon them. For a gracious purpose the child of 
the good Shunemite was suddenly taken sick, and expired in 
the arms of his mother. The shock was dreadful, but her 
faith was strong. Without any outcry she laid the corpse 
upon the prophet's bed, and set out instantly for the abode of 
Elisha on mount Carmel. The prophet descried his benev- 
olent hostess when she was a considerable way off, and sent 

J 3 Kings iv. 1$ 



m SCRIPTURE BIOGRAPHY. 

his servant Gehazi to enquire " whether all was well with 
herself, with her husband, and with her child ?" But the 
good woman was not willing to communicate the grief of 
her heart to a servant, she therefore only replied, 4% It is 
well." What a spirit of resignation runs through this con- 
cise and dignified answer? However great might be her 
agony, she was yet unwilling to express any thing like dis- 
satisfaction with the awful visitation of Providence. We are 
not forbidden to grieve, but we are commanded not to u sor- 
row as those who are without hope." A gleam of comfort 
beamed upon the heart of this excellent woman as she drew 
near the prophet, and between the struggling of anguish, 
fear, and hope, faith prevailed, and enabled her to confess 
that ■! all was. well." 

On coming into the presence of the man of God she fell 
at his feet, and embraced them in silent agony. Gehazi 
thinking this action irreverent endeavoured to thrust her 
away, but his officiousness was rebuked by his master, who 
with much sympathetic tenderness exclaimed, " Let her 
alone, for her soul is vexed within her ; and the Lord hath 
hid it from me, and hath not tuld me." 

When the power of speech returned she declared the 
cause of her journey in these striking terms : " Did I desire 
a son of my Lord ? Did I not say, do not deceive me ?" 
The prophet needed no farther information. It was evident 
that the child which had been freely bestowed, without any 
important solicitations of her own, was snatched away by 
the hand of God. Elisha' s grief was roused, and for once 
he seems to have acted from the impulse of his own mind, 
without consulting the divine direction. He gave his staff to 
Gehazi, with orders to hasten to the house, and to lay it 
upon the face of the child.. But the mother, though she 
heard the commission, and knew the power with which 
Elisha was invested, would not leave him, on which he 
arose and went with her. The servant followed his master's 
orders, but he wanted his master's faith, and a deadly still- 
ness continued when Elisha and the mother entered the room* 
The prophet then u prayed unto the Lord ;" and so effica- 
cious were his petitions, that the vital principle re-animated 
the body, and the child was restored to the arms of his 
mother. Extraordinary instances of the power of prayer are 
thus recorded, not that we should expect miraculous effects 
to result from our supplications, but to encourage us in a 



elisha: sis 

practice which will strengthen us in our religious course, 
preserve us from despondency, and give us a superiority 
over the temptations and troubles of the world. The story 
of the excellent Shunemite shall be closed at this place, 
though in so doing it is necessary to invert the order of 
time. The prophet, foreseeing a grievous famine which 
was about to visit the land, from a grateful sense of the fa- 
vours which he had received, directed her to " arise with all 
her household to go into some other country." She knew 
the integrity of Elishatoo well to despise his counsel, though 
it subjected her to much inconvenience. She obeyed " the 
saving of the man of God, and went and sojourned in the 
land of the Philistines."* By how many blessings is a little 
courtesy repaid ! After an absence of seven years she re- 
turned to her native land, where she found that her estate 
had been seized upon by some of her rapacious country- 
men. Thus cruelly deprived of her property, she was under 
the necessity of repairing to court, and of laying her case be- 
fore the king. At another time, perhaps, her suit would 
not have been very favourably received ; but the Almighty, 
who guided the widow and orphan to the palace of Jeho- 
ram, so ordered it, that, at the very moment when they en- 
tered, Gehazi, Elisha' s servant, was engaged in relating that 
part of the Shunemite's story, the restoration of her son. — 
The narrative was most interesting, and it was rendered still 
more so by Gehazi's crying out, " My lord, O king, this 
is the woman, and this is her son whom Elisha restored to 
life." The king was desirous of hearing the story over 
again, and it so greatly affected him, that he instantly or- 
dered her estate to be restored, together with all the profits 
that had arisen from it in her absence. 

During the famine which Elisha had predicted he resided 
much with the sons of the prophets, to comfort them in 
that season of distress. On one occasion he saved them all 
from beinr; poisoned by some noxious plants, which had 
been unwittingly cast into their pottage. And when a pre- 
sent of bread was brought him he distributed it generally 
among them. 

It calls for our astonishment that the only instance of a 
miraculous cure being wrought by Elisha was in healing the 
leprosy of a stranger. Our Lord informs us that there were 
Tiany Israelites afflicted with this loathsome distemper at 

• 2 Kings Yin. ?. 
2 R 






$£*> SCRIPTURE BIOGRAPHY. 

that time, but that not one leper was cleansed by Elisha but 
Naaman, the Syrian, This person was no less than the ge- 
neral of the Syrian armic-s, and the favourite of the king his 
master. But with all his valour and his greatness Naaman 
was a leper. No rank is exempted from the most loath- 
s. me diseases, nor can all the wealth of the mightiest empire 
preserve or purchase health. Doubtless Naaman had sought 
far and near for a remedy, but the leprosy was an incurable 
distemper. From slight causes and by feeble instruments 
does God bring about his gracious designs. The Syrians, 
in one of their expeditions against Israel, had taken captive 
a little maid, and she waited upon Naaman's wife. The 
advantages of a pious education were never more remark- 
able than in this incident. The parents of this little maid 
were doubtless much concerned at her being carried into 
captivity, but hereby she was honoured in being the instru- 
ment of converting her master, and perhaps his whole fa- 
mily. Observing the wretched condition of Naaman she 
exclaimed, " Would to God my Lord were with the prophet 
that is in Samaria, for he would recover him of his le- 
prosy. " # These words being reported to Naaman, he in- 
stantly obtained a letter from his master to the king of 
Israel, and set out for that country. When Jehoram read 
the letter which desired, or rather demanded, of him to cure 
Naaman of his leprosy, he was much concerned, and attri- 
buted it to an intention of seeking a quarrel with him. Elisha 
having heard of the king's consternation dispatched a mes- 
senger to him with this dignified reproof; " Wherefore hast 
thou rent thy clothes ! Let him come now to me, and he 
shall know that there is a prophet in Israel." 

Tne prophet's message being communicated to Naaman 
he hastened to the hduse' of Elisha ; but the man of God, 
willing to humble the pride of the courtier, condescended 
not to wait upon him, but sent a messenger, saying, " Go 
and wash in Jordan seven times, and thy flesh shall come 
again to thee, and thou shalt be clean." 

This want of respect irritated the lofty mind of the Sy- 
rian who thought that all Israel would have regarded him. 
with reverence. But Elisha vvas desirous not only of curing 
the man of his outward leprosy, but of that fouler one 
which defiled his heart. Tnis was only to be accomplished 
by making him humble and submissive to the simplest in- 

• 2 Kings v. 3. 



ELISHA. 315 

Struments and means which should be appointed to heal 
hi n. Naaman first thought himself insulted by the man of 
God, and then despised the mode prescribed for his cure. 
In this state of mind he was going away, when one of his 
servants remonstrated with hi. n upon the inconsider^teness 
of his conduct :" If the prophet," said he, * 4 had bid thee 
do some great thing, wouldest thou not have done it ? How 
much rather then when he saith uuto thee, wash and be 
clean ?" 

This expostulation had the desired effect. Naaman's rage 
and pride were subdued ; he went as he was ordered, wash- 
ed himself in Jordan, and was healed. From the river he 
returned a new man, and waited upon the prophet with hu- 
mility and gratitude. He was now convinced that God 
was only known in Israel, and professed his resolution of 
worshipping him only. He pressed upon Elisha the accept- 
ance of the most costly presents, but the. prophet refused 
them ali. He had no concern about the things of this 
world, or lor his own honour. ^Tt was enough for him to 
promote the giory of God and the welfare of his fellow- 
creatures. But Gehazi was dissatisfied with this perform- 
ance of his master. He could not conceive what impro- 
priety there was in receiving some return for so great a cure ; 
and his heart fixed itself upon the treasures which the pro- 
phet had rjected. He therefore followed the procession, 
and pretended that he was sent by Elisha to request a talent 
of silver and two changes of raiment for two young men of 
the sons of the prophets who were just come to visit him. 
He might certainly have had what he wanted without telling 
a lie to obtain it ; but a well invented tale he thought would 
screen his master and himself. Naaman doubled what he 
requested ; and Gehazi having deposited his treasure care- 
fully went in as usual to attend upon his master. Little did 
he imagine that the eye of the prophet had traced him in all 
this artful business. One falsehood naturally produced ano- 
ther. Elisha, on his entrance, asked from whence he came ? 
Gehazi still thinking himself secure, replied, u thy servant 
went no whither." One who had witnessed so many 
instances of Elisha's foresight and power ought to have 
trembled when the searching question was put to him ; but 
Gehazi htd no alternative between an acknowlegement of 
the fact and direct falsehood. The love of his ill-gotten 
wealth prevented him from making an ingenuous confession, 






£16 SCRIPTURE BXOG&APHY, 

and he hoped that a lie would impose upon his master. Bat 
in this he was wofully mistaken. The prophet after sharply 
reproving him for the baseness of his conduct, inflicted on 
him that disease of which Naaman had been healed, and 4fc he 
went out from his presence a leper as white as snow." 

But though Gehazi is gone, the sons of the prophets en- 
crease to such a degree that their dwelling is too small for 
them. They, therefore, humbly ask leave of Elisha to erect 
a larger house on the banks of the Jordan, and it is granted. 
While one of these pious men was felling some timber his 
axe dropped into the river. The loss was deeply lamented 
for the axe was borrowed. Elisha was touched with com- 
passion because the poor man's complaint resulted from an 
honest motive, and he restored the axe again by causing it to 
swim on the surface of the water. This incident may appear 
trifling, but nothing is trifling that is recorded in the book 
of God, to strengthen our faith, and to regulate our 
practice. 

In a war which raged between Syria and Israel, the in- 
telligence of the prophet defeated at varions times the de- 
signs of the enemies of his country. This so provoked the 
Syrian monarch that he dispatched a number of men to seize 
upon Elisha in Dothan ; but when they compassed the place 
they were smitten with blindness, and in that condition the 
prophet conducted them to Samaria. There they lay at 
the mercy of the king of Israel, who would willingly have 
destroyed them all ; but Elisha, after restoring them to sight, 
fed them and sent them away in peace. 

The war, however, still continued ; and the king of Syria, 
unmoved by this noble act of generosity, laid such close 
siege to Samaria that the most dreadful famine raged in the 
place. Jehoram regarding Elisha as the author of all this 
calamity vowed his destruction, and sent a messenger to put 
him to death. But the prophet, conscious of the protection 
of the Almighty, stirred not from his house. He dismissed 
the courtier with a declaration that, notwithstanding the 
dismal state of things, in a few days all should be reversed, 
and plenty should succeed to dearth. A nobleman who heard 
the prediction could not help expressing his unbelief, and 
that in terms of ridicule. Elisha calmly replied, that though 
he would see the fact with his eyes, he should not partake of 
the blessing. The prophecy was accomplished j for^ the Sy- 






ELISHA. Slf 

nans raised the siege on a sudden, and the city was instantly 
supplied with provision?. The nobleman, as he stood in the 
gate, was trod to death by the crowd, and thus became a fear- 
ful example ot the sinfulness of infidelity. 

Not long after this we find Elisha at Damascus, the capi- 
tal of Syria. The animosity of Benhadad, king of the coun- 
try, was now removed for he lay upon the bed of sickness ; 
and hearing that the man of God was in the city he sent to 
him Hazael, his prime minister, with a spiendid present, 
that he might enquire of the Lord for him, " whether he 
should recover." However men may despise religion and its 
ministers in health and prosperity, yet in sickness and afflic- 
tion they would gladly have their assistance. 

The disorder of Benhadad was not mortal, but his fate was 
sealed by other means. Elisha replied, " that he might re- 
cover," or that it was certainly possible for him to get the 
better of this sickness, u nevertheless" he adds, " the Lord 
hiuh shewed me that he shall surely die."* 

In pronouncing these words the prophet fixed his eyes 
so intently upon the countenance of the messenger that Ha- 
zael blushed. Guilty consciences naturally shrink from the 
scrutinizing observation of the righteous. As Elisha sur- 
vived the features of this treacherous courtier, his feelings 
were so uncommonly agitated, that a torrent of tears gushed 
from his eyes. Astonished at this, Hazael respectfully ask- 
ed, " why weepeth my Lord ?" The man of God readily 
answered, u Because I know the evil that thou wilt do unto 
the children of Israel : their strong holds wilt thou set on 
fire, and their young men wilt thou slay with the sword, and 
wilt dash their children, and rip up their women with child." 
On viewing these horrible scenes, though but in prospect, it 
is not surprizing that the benevolent heart of Elisha should 
be melted, and that his eyes should be filled with tears ; but 
what must have been the sensations of Hazael when the 
black catalogue of crimes was prefaced with the assertion 
that he should be the perpetrator ? He could not believe that 
it was in his nature, even though he should ever possess the 
opportunity, to be guilty of such infamous cruelties. " But 
what !" he exclaims, " is thy servant a dog that he should 
do this great thing ?" Elisha knew more of his heart than 
Hazael himself did, and, therefore, he only replied, " the 
Lord hath shewed me that thou shalt be king over Syria." 



2 Kincj-s vfii# 10. 



1* 



318 SCRIPTURE BIOGRAPHY. 

This very man who could pat on the appearance of virtu* 
ous indignation at being supposed capable of such abomin- 
able actions, began his c.ireer or wickedness the very next 
morning, by murdering his master and usurping his throne. 
After such a erime as this ail the others followed, and the 
prophet's prediction was literally fulfilled. 

E isha had now attained an extraordinary age, but his at- 
tention to the interests of his country, and to the high duties 
of his office, continued to the last. Being prevented by his 
infirmities from anointing Jehu king over Israel, according 
to the divine appointment, he commissioned a young pro- 
phet to officiate in his stead. 

But all human greatness and excellence are mutable, and 
even " prophets do not live for ever." Elisha had seen his 
great master carried away in a chariot of fire to the realms 
of glory ; but though his own life was more varied, and 
though he inherited a double portion of Elijah's spirit, 3 et 
he must lie down on a sick bed, and enter the world of spi- 
rits through the valley of the shadow of death. In his last 
illness he was visited by Joash, king oi Israel ; lor though 
that monarch valued not the holiness of the prophet, he had 
a high esteem of his services. He wept over the pallid 
countenance of the man of God, and, sensible of the loss 
which the kingdom would sustain in his death, he exclaimed, 
" O my father, my father, the chariots of Israel and the 
horsemen thereof P** 

The dying prophet directed Joash to take a bow and ar- 
row and to shoot eastward, laving at the same time his 
hands upon those of the king. This significant act was in- 
tended to express that Israel should prevail over Syria. Jo- 
ash was next commanded to take the arro\v r s and to smite 
them on the ground. Not knowing the meaning of this 
symbolical ceremony, and perhaps offended at the injunction, 
he smote only three times, and then stayed. This roused the 
indignation of Elisha, who thus reproved him, " Thou 
shouldst have smitten five or six times then hadst thou smit- 
ten Syria till thou hadst consumed it ; whereas now thou shalt 
smite Syria but hrice " 

Shortly after this the man of God expired, at the age of 
ninety years and the sixtieth of his ministry. But the mi- 
raculous power, which had so greatly distinguished him in 
fife, did not end even in the silent tomb ; for the dead body 

* 2 Kinsrs siii. 14. 



ELISHA. 3iff 

of a man being cast into his sepulchre revived immediately 
on touching the bones of the prophet. 

This miracle seems to have been intended to correct an en- 
cn-asing spirit of infidelity in that age, by shewing not only 
the certainty of a future state, but of the resurrection of the 
dead. Nor is it fanciful to consider it as alluding to that di- 
vine life which is imparted to men " dead in trespasses and 
sins" by the death of the Messiah. Had he not been laid in 
the sepulchre a breathh ss corpse, we should never have ex- 
perienced any spiritual motion, or had the slightest glimpse 
of immortality, but should have continued lor ever in aark- 
ness and in the shadow of death."* From this wretched 
and helpl ss state we are raised by virtue of his voluntary 
passion and triumphant resurrection. We regain that life 
which was lost by Adam, and even our dead bodies also shall 
be raised with his glorious body, agreeable to that remarka- 
ble prediction of the evangelical prophet : u thy dead men 
shall live, together with my dead body shall they arise.-— 
A wake, and sing ye that dwell in the dust : for thy dew is as 
the dew of herbs, and the earth shall cast out her dead."f 



*Lu,kei. 79. f Isaia&xxvi. 19. 



320 SCRIPTURE BIOGRAPHY. 

DANIEL. gfa /"^je*- 

Died about anno mundi 3470 ; aged 90. 

THE holy scriptures exhibit instances of the power of 
religion in persons of various descriptions, that every 
station of 'life maybe furnished with suitable examples as 
well as precepts. A blessing is indeed pronounced upon 
evangelical poverty,* by our Saviour, and an apostle has as- 
sured us that *'■ not many wise men after the flesh, not many 
mighty, not many noble are called,"f but it would be unjust 
to infer from hence that the rich and honourable are not with- 
in the compass of the plan of redemption, or even that they 
are less regarded by the God of love than those who are 
poor and in obscurity. By poverty of spirit our Lord means 
lowliness of heart, and a renunciation of all plea of righte- 
ousness in ourselves ; and the apostle only says that God 
hath chosen feeble instruments for the propagation of 
the gospel, that its success might not appear to be the effect 
of human policy or power. But both in the Old and New 
Testament we meet with many shining examples of piety and 
usefulness in the most elevated stations of life ; and the 
truth of that gracious promise made to the church has in 
times of old, as well as in the present, been remarkably con- 
firmed, " that kings shall be her nursing fathers and queens 
her nursing mothers.".): 

In seasons of darkness, corruption, and tribulation, the 
Almighty has raised instruments in high stations, by whom 
his afflicted church has been delivered from misery, and re- 
ligion been made to flourish with new splendour. 

This was strikingly the case in the long Babylonish capti- 
vity, whjch began in the fourth year of Jehoiakim, when Ne- 
buchadnezzar took the city of Jerusalem, and returned into 
his own country with immense spoils and numerous priso- 
ners, among whom were Jehoiakim himself and all his fa- 
mily. 

The haughty conqueror not content with plundering the tem- 
ple of the Lord, and depositing the sacred vessels in the house 
of his idols, and of subjugating a nation to bondage and lead- 
ing their monarch in chains, would likewise be served by 
some of the captive princes, and therefore commanded his 
principal enuch to seek out certain children of the blood roy- 

* Matt. v. o. 1 1 Gor. L 26. * Is. xlix. 23. 



Daniel; 821 

al, " in whom was no blemish," to stand in the king's palace, 
and whom they might teach the learning and the tongue of 
the Chaldeans." 

It is not unreasonable to suppose that the design of Nebu- 
chadnezzar in this was to prrvert the principles of these 
youths, and to effect, if possible, the destruction of the very 
language, as well as the religion of the Jews, by their means. 
But the craftiness of men is over-ruled by the providence of 
God to the advancement of the cause it is intended to de- 
stroy. This was remarkably the case in the present instance, 
for though . >aniel, and three others of the royal house of 
Judah were taken into the palace of the king of Babylon, and 
ordered to be brought up after the manner of the country, 
yet their religious principles were too firmly fixed to be cor- 
rupted. In that dangerous situation Daniel, upon whom, 
according to the eastern custom, was conferred the name of 
Balteshazzar, gained the favour of the eunuch, and prevail- 
ed upon hi n to dispense with their refusal of the food which 
was sent them from the roval table, and to allow them only 
pulse and water in its room. Such an act of temperance 
and religious obedience in persons of their age and condi- 
tion calls for our admiration, and affords a lesson full of valu- 
able instruction. In giving a preference to aliments so very 
simple over the rich and tempting vLands that were set before 
them, they evinced not a superstitious but a magnanimous 
spirit. By the express injunctions of their religion they were 
not only restricted from particular meats, but from all of 
whatever kind that had been profaned to an idolatrous pur- 
pose. The provisions which werf j ordered them by the king 
had, no doubt, been previously offered or consecrated to his 
idols, in consequence of which they were justly regarded as 
an abomination bv these pious Israelites. In their scrupulous 
adherence to the laws of Jehovah what a beautiful example 
have we to be careful how we comply with the sinful customs 
of the world, though allured to do so by the most flattering 
offers of wealth and honour ? In their abstinence and self- 
denial, rather than violate the commandment of God, we 
are taught to lay a restraint upon our appetites, and to u live 
soberly, righteously and godly, in this present world " Nor 
is their story without encouragement ; for though their diet 
was the lowest and simplest possible, it was so far from in- 
juring their health, or depressing their mental faculties, r.hat 
it produced quite opposite effects. They appeared much 

3 S 



322T SCRIPTURE BIOGRAPHr. 

better than those who did eat of the king's provisions, and so 
apt were they to learning, that when they were examined 
by the king " he found them ten times better skilled in all 
matters of wisdom and understanding than all the magicians 
and astrologers that were in his realm. " As temperance is 
the grand preservative of health, so it is the most conducive 
to the improvement of the mind by keeping its faculties 
clear and always ready for exercise. 

The wisdom of Daniel was particularly conspicuous ; for 
amidst the vast variety and extent of it, with which his mind 
was enriched, through God's blessing upon his integrity, 
u he had understanding in all visions and dreams." This 
was a degree of knowlege peculiarly calculated to render 
him?acceptable in that superstitious country, which was over- 
run with magicians and astrologers. Every vagary of the 
imagination was regarded by the Chaldeans as portentous, 
and nothing was undertaken by them without an astral calcu- 
lation, or an oracular direction.. 

This eminent talent of Daniel was soon brought into ex- 
ercise, and procured for him the favour of the king of Ba- 
bylon. That monarch had been greatly disquieted in his 
sleep by a remarkable dream, which however he could not 
recollect when he awoke, though the horror occasioned by it 
still remained. In this state of mind he sent for his sooth- 
sayers, and preposterously required of them not only the 
interpretation but the particulars of the dream itself. They 
were full as well qualified for the one as the other ; but with 
this difference, that if the vision had been told them they 
were too great adepts in their proferjsion not to have ham- 
mered out a plausible and flattering exposition^ But the Al- 
mighty was now determined to prove their folly and pre- 
sumption by making Nebuchadnezzar demand that whichr 
lay not in their power to perform. They readily confessed 
their inability to comply with the demand, and that none 
** could shew it except the gods whose dwelling was not 
with flesh."* 

The same thing ought to have been acknowleged by them 
with respect to the interpretation of dreams remembered 
and related, as of the relation of one which had escaped the 
memory. But these deceivers were compelled by necessity 
to confess the truth, and thereby destroyed the credit of their 
profession. Nebuchadnezzar, so far from being satisfied 

* Dan, ii. 11. 



DANIEL. S2S 

with their reply, in a fit of rage issued his mandate that all 
the wise men, that is, all the professors ot the occult scien- 
ce*, should instantly be put to death, in this massacre Da- 
niel and his three friends were in equal danger of being slain 
with the rest, but on hearing of the edict tney had recourse 
to prayer that the secret might be discovered. The design 
of Providence in the whole affair was to bring Daniel into 
power by revealing to him the mysterious secret : but even 
the blessings whicn heaven has purposed to bestow must be 
sougnt for by prayer. These pious jews are driven to ex- 
tremity, that t ey may fly to the throne of grace for direc- 
tion and deliverance . Their prayers were answered. Da- 
niel received a revelation of the dream, and tne signification 
ot it, whicn he declared with great boldness before the king, 
who made him ruier over the whole province of Babylon, 
and he sat in the gate of the king."* 

It would be wrong to pass over the modesty and humility 
of Daniel when he stood in the king's presence, and when 
all eyes were intent upon him, and all were eager to hear the 
mignty secret from his iips. Though young and eloquent, 
and conscious of his being able to declare exactly the utmost 
wish of Nebuchadnezzar, which no man upon earth besides 
himself could do, he takes care to renounce at the very be- 
ginning all pretence to superior sagacity ; u as for me," 
says he, k * this secret is not revealed to me for any wisdom 
that I have more than any living, but for their sakes that 
shall make known the interpretation to the king, and that 
thou mightest know the thoughts of thy heart." 

All genuine wisdom is humble and unassuming. They 
who are lifted up with a conceit of their great depth of know- 
lege, and extent of acquirements, may in the estimation of 
men be prodigies of intellectual powers, but in the judgment 
of truth they are not wise men, because they are ignorant of 
that essential point, that " the fear of the Lord is the begin- 
ning of wisdom, and to depart from evil is understanding."! 
The truly wise man knows that God is the fountain of wis- 
dom, and, therefore, he will not arrogate to himself any merit 
for that which is only a gift and a talent bestowed on him, 
that it may be duly improved to the glory of the donor, and 
for the benefit of mankind. 

The first care of Daniel, on being exalted to the govern- 
ment of Babyion, was to solicit the royal favour for his thre.e 

• Dan. ii. 49. fjob. xxviii, 2§. 



S24 SCRIPTURE BIOGRAPHY. 

friends, who were accordingly promoted to distinguished 
situations. 

As a statesman we know no more of Daniel than that he 
conducted himself with the greatest fidelity and openness. 
When consulted by the king, his master, upon another mys- 
terious dream which troubled him, the prophet, though 
struck with grief and astonishment, freely declared its signi- 
fication ; and after predicting a severe judgment which 
would fall upon him lor his impiety, he had the courage to 
give Nebuchadnezzar this advice, " break off thy sins by 
righteousness and thine iniquities by shewing mercy to the 
poor ; perhaps it may be a lengthening of thy tranquillity. '* 
Such counsel following so mortifying a prophecy was not 
calculated to conciliate the good will of a haughty tyrant, 
but Daniel was neither afraid to explain to Nebuchadnezzar 
the exact meaning of the dream, nor to declare to him the 
necessity of a thorough repentance. How the king of Ba- 
bylon received the interpretation and advice of Daniel, is not 
told us ; but as we find the prophet still in office under his 
successor Belshazaar, it is to be presumed that Nebuchad- 
nezzar did not manifest his displeasure against him, though 
his mind w T as too elated to be guided by his advice. The 
prediction of Daniel was literally accomplished, for the king 
being deprived of his reason was driven irom society, and be- 
came like a beast of the field. Daniel continued still in of- 
fice after the death of Nebuchadnezzar, and displayed the 
same wisdom and uprightness in the service of Relshazzar 
as he had done under his father. 

This young monarch in a season of festivity, surrounded 
by his parasites and concubines, sent for the holy vessels 
which his father had taken from the temple at Jerusalem, and 
prostituted them to the purposes of lawless riot and impious 
contempt. But while the company were indulging themselves 
in licentious mirth, the finger of God wrote the sentence of 
Belshazzar's destruction on the wall opposite to where he sat. 
The instant his eye caught the awful vision, and beheld the 
unknown characters which were traced out, his levity va- 
nished, and his whole frame shook through fear. In vain were 
the magicians applied to, for not one of them could read the 
mysterious writing, or account for the tremendous appari- 
tion. Horrible confusion ran through the palace, when the 
queen-mother recollected the eminent qualities of Daniel, and 
communicated the information to her son. Daniel was in- 



DANIEL. 325 

stantly brought into the royal presence, and promised the 
highest honours and rewards on condition oi nis interpreting 
the portentous characters. Tne answer ot the prophet 
shews the exalted sentiments ot his mind : fc > Let thy gilts" 
says ne " be to thyself, and give thy rewards to another'; 
yet I will read the writing unto the king, and make knowtt 
to him the interpretation." He proceeded to remind the 
king of the signai judgment which had fallen upon his tether 
for his impiety and pride ; but by wnich remaikable lesson, 
Belshazzar had not prohted as he ougnt to have done.— 
Daniel, in the midst ot tne sinful and perhaps intoxicated as- 
sembly, charged the king with the heinousness oi his offence 
in thus profaning the holy vessels of God's sanctuary, and 
committing a daring act ot rebellion against heaven. Thus 
boldly did he prepare his guilty and terrified auditory lor die 
tremendous secret contained in these tew words whicu uere 
written upon the wall. The words and the interprc.ation 
were these, " Mene, Mene, Tekel^ Upharsin. — Mene ; God 
hath numbered thy people and finished it. Tekel ; dioxi 
art weighed in the balances and art found wanting. Peres ; 
thy kingdom is divided and given to the Medes and Per- 
sians."* 

This awful prediction was scarcely delivered before it was 
fulfilled ; for on tjiat same night the army of Cyrus, having 
turned the course of the river, entered the city, and put the 
king and the principle part of his nobility to the sword. — 
Thus fell Babylon, agreeable to the exact words ot tne 
prophet Isaiah, who not only described the circumstance 
in the most accurate manner two hundred years before 
it came to pass, but even mentioned the conqueror Cyrus 
by name.f 

In the book of Daniel it is said that the city was taken by 
Darius the Mede, which particular perhaps it will be neces- 
sary to explain. Tnis Darius, then, was the uncle of Cyrus, 
and in his own right king ot Media. Cyrus was a native of Per- 
sia, and brought an army of nis country men to the assists 
ance of his uncle, who made him general of the allied force 
at the siege of Babylon. When that place was taken by Cyrus, 
his uncle, as a reward of his valour, took him to be his coad- 
jutor in the government ; but as he was absent from Baby- 

*Ch. v. 25. he. 
f See Isaiah xiii. ad finem. xiy. 4—23. xxi*. 2—10 xliii. 14— ir— xlv 
1—3. xlvii. 1, &c. 



526 SCRIPTURE BIOGRAPHY. 

Ion some time in his Syrian, Egyptian and other expeditions ? 
the Scripture attributes the two first years from Beishazzar's 
death to Darius the Mede, and the succeeding, years to Cy- 
rus the Persian. Cyrus afterwards married the daughter of 
Darius, and thereby became the successor ot that monarch in 
the kingdom of Media, and thus the Medes and Persians 
were united into one empire.* 

Dirius and Cyrus in settling the government of the con- 
qured kingdom divided it into one hundred and twenty 
provinces, over which were placed those persons who had 
rendered the most important services during the war. To 
regulate the conduct of these governors a council was formed 
of three presidents who resided constantly at court, ami of 
these Daniel was the principal, which, though it shewed the 
high opinion in which he was held for his wisdom and vir- 
tue, yet it exposed him to the envy of the courtiers, particu- 
larly of those who were placed beneath him m the council, 
To accomplish his destruction various confederacies were 
farmed, but when nothing could be found in his public con- 
duct on which to frame an accusation against him, these ma- 
lignant wretches devised the diabolical scheme ol making his 
religious integ? ity a snare for his life, it was the uniform 
custom of this holy man, amidst the gaieties of the most splen- 
did court, and the weighty cares of an extensive government, 
to * k retire to his chamber which looked towards Jerusalem, 
and to pray upon his knees three times every day."f What 
a reflection is this upon those persons who scarcely ever bend 
their knees to the father of mercies at all ? Daniel looked 
towards Jerusalem, doubtless with a tender concern at her 
forlorn condition, and at the captive state of her children ; 
but though this called forth his most fervent supplications to 
the Almighty that he would be pleased to " remember his 
inheritance," yet he on these occasions li gave thanks," as 
knowing wt that all things work together for good to them 
that love God." The pious soul, however broken and dis- 
mayed it may be, finds still abundant cause for praise and 
thanksgiving, and with its penitential confessions and earnest 
supplications, will mix ascriptions of gratitude to God " as 
aioretime." 

The enemies of Daniel were obliged to have recourse to a 
very artful scheme to accomplish their purpose, for such was 
the high opinion entertained of him by the king, that a 

* Ste Pridaux's Connection. f Cn - Vi - 10t 



DANIEL. 32r 

direct attack against him would only have brought the royal 
Vengeanc- upon their own heads. They, therefore, proposed 
a decree to Darius, that whoever should ask a petition of 
either god or man for thirty days except the king should 
be cast into the den of lions. Darius was flattered by a pro- 
posal which raised him above all the Bab) lonish deities, and 
this incense offered to his vanity made him blind to the real 
object of these hypocritical parasites. The decree was 
signed, and made, according to the law of the Medes and 
Persians, irrevocable. Daniel knew nothing of this plot till 
it was carried into effect ; but instead of being moved by it, 
or making a secret of his devotions, he continued his wonted 
practice, in which he was soon discovered by his adversaries* 
The report was quickly laid before the king, who saw too 
late into what a dreadful error he had fallen by hearkening 
to the impious proposition of these men, who now shewed 
that it was their own envy they wished to gratify, and not 
the advancement of his honour. He endeavoured to save his 
faithful minister, but the edict could not be reversed. Da- 
niel was accordingly cast into the den of lions, which was 
carefully closed up and sealed with the royal signet. But the 
fierceness of these terrible creatures was restrained by the 
angel of the Lord, so that when the king hastened in the 
morning to the den, Daniel " was found unhurt because he 
believed in his God."^ 

The miraculous deliverance of Daniel was the triumph of 
the true religion ; for the king, after causing the conspirators 
to be cast into the same den, where they were instantly de- 
stroyed, issued a decree acknowleging the " God of Daniel 
to be the living God and stedfast for ever." It appears also 
most probable that this paved the way for the deliverance of 
the Jews from their captivity, an event which lay much upon 
the mind of Daniel, as is evident from his prayers and con- 
fessions to God, and the glorious visions which were revealed 
to him for his comfort. Though exalted to such a pitch of 
honour in the court of Babylon, and though engaged in ma- 
naging the concerns of a mighty empire, we see this great 
man humbling himself before the Lord " in sackcloth and 
ashes" lor the redemption of his afflicted countrymen. Pie 
still remembered desolate Jerusalem in the midst of the dis- 
tinctions with which he was covered bv the greatest poten- 
tates on earth. And shall not the Christian, while he so- 

* Ch. vj. 23. 



32S SCRIPTURE BIOGRAPHY. 

journs in a strange land, think upon the church of God and 
pray for her increase and consummation ? Amidst vanity 
and corruption, the opposition of enemies and the treachery 
o/ false friends, he " looks towards the heavenly Jerusalem," 
and like Daniel, " who was a man of desin s," sighs for his 
native home, the city of the living God. This exalted 
statesman lived much in the habit of prayer, and by thus 
keeping in clos^ communion with God, he was eminently 
preserved in times of great difficulty and in the most critical 
situations. His integrity was often proved, and his faith 
was strengthened. His enemies were confounded, and the 
people of God were relieved, and at length completely eman- 
cipated by his means. So great was the honour put upon 
Da.iiel that the special messengers of the Most High were 
not only sent to cheer his desponding mind by prophetic 
representations of what should happen in succeeding times, 
but one of them addressed him with this compellation u O 
man greatly beloved."* 

Of these wonderful visions we have not room to speak 
particularly ; and therefore, it must suffice to say that his 
descriptions of the four great monarchies of the world were 
so exact, that the greatest enemies of Christianity have ac- 
knowledged it, though against all truth they pretend that the 
predictions were composed after all the events were closed. f 
This is then a most glorious testimony in behalf of revela- 
tion, since its fiercest and acutest adversaries are forced to 
adopt a most absurd falsehood to get rid of its force. The 
famous prophecy of Daniel's seventy weeks, in which he ac- 
curately fixed the period •* when everlasting righteousness 
should be brought in4 is also of the utmost importance, as 
it not onlv establishes the truth of revelation against in- 
fidels, but ascertains beyond a doubt the coming of the Mes- 
siah. 

Some writers assert that Daniel died in the beginning of 
Cyrus's reign at baby Ion ; but it is more p-obable that he 
died at Shushan, or Susa, in Persia, where, according to 
Josephus, remained in his time a magnificent tower erected 
by the prophet, and which by his description of it was a beau- 
tiful specimen of architectural taste. 

But in the life and example of Daniel we have something 
more valuable to admire than his skill either as a man of sci- 
ence or as a minister of state. From childhood he was a pat* 

? Dan, x. 19. | Porphyry . * Ch, ix. 24. 



B.U*i.i*.L.« 329 

tern of religious consistency and firmness. No honours or 
allurements, threats, or artifices, could alienate him from the 
path of duty. Though ready on all occasions to serve his 
royal masters, yet he was careful to M preserve a conscience 
void of offence," and to serve his God as well as the king. 

He always declared the truth boldly, but without arro- 
gance, in the presence of the haughtiest mouarchs, nor once 
endeavoured to disguise or palliate the unpleasant tidings 
which he was commissioned to reveal to them. His enemies 
could find " no occasion of fault against him, except his in- 
tegrity in keeping the law of his God ;" which course he 
pursued, though in the very face of death, and in opposition 
to the royal commandment. From his honesty, humility, 
piety and courage, let us learn to j-esist the temptations of the 
world, and to live in all holy obedience to the laws ©f God, 
and in a constant habit of communion with him by faith and 
prayer. This will procure us more honour than the appro* 
bation of princes, for it will gain us the favour o( God, 
and secure to us an " inheritance incorruptible, undefiled, 
and that fadeth not away." 



S T 



MO SCRIPTURE BIOGRAPHY. 

ESTHER AND MORDECAL 

Flourished about anno mundi 3544. 



*/~3 



i^S 



P"T^HE wicked are oftentimes snared in their own devices, 
X and the plot which they contrive for the ruin of others 
frequently proves the ruin of themselves. Envy and ma- 
lice will always he directed agaiust the church of God, but 
no scheme formed against it will prosper. Though for a time, 
perhaps, its destruction may appear inevitable ; at the very 
moment when the machinations of its adversaries are brought 
to the most powerful pitch, and when all hope of deliver- 
ance is gone, the divine arm is made bare, joy fills the habi- 
tations of the righteous, and the tents of wickedness are 
covered with confusion. Many such instances are recorded 
for our comfort and edifkation v that we may learn to put 
our whole trust in God when things are the most against us, 
and to rely firmly upon the veracity of his promises, even in 
seasons of the greatest confusion, calamity, and darkness. 

In the story of Esther we are presented with a beautiful 
and instructive illustration of this great truth, that though 
the Almighty may for a season permit the wicked to triumph, 
yet he will eventually turn his wickedness upon his own 
head, and deliver the righteous out of all his troubles. 

The Jews were scattered as captives throughout Persia in 
the reign of Artaxerexes Longimanus, who is justly con- 
cluded to have been the Ahasuerus king of Persia, mention- 
.ed in this part of scripture. 

This monarch, on some extraordinary occasion, gave a 
sumptuous entertainment in his palace at Shushan to his 
princes and nobles, which lasted one hundred and eighty 
davs. To encrease the festivity, or rather to gratify his own 
vanity, he sent for his queen Vashti to grace the banquet 
with her presence. This mandate she refused to obey, which 
so provoked the king, who was already heated with wine, 
that he consulted with his company what steps he should 
adopt to punish the insult. The pliant courtiers, who saw 
that it would be more acceptable to inflame than to allay his 
resentment, proposed a divorce. Their advice was taken, 
and Vashti being discarded, Esther was elevated to the high 
station of queen of Persia. With this part of the conduct of 
the king we have nothing to do ; our attention is upon a more 
interesting subject. We behold here the wonder-working 



ESTHER AND MORDECAI. 351 

finger of God bringing good to his afflicted people out of the 
pride, resentment, and iniemperanc- oi then oppressors. — 
Earner was an orphan Jewess, left to the care ot hei coubin 
Mordecai, by whom she was religiously brought up, and 
whose kindness she returned by the most dutiiui attention, 
*' doing nothing but by his commandment,"* or according to 
the directions which she had received from him, even alter 
her advancement. 

Among all the virgins that were presented to the king, 
Esther was the only one that fixed his affections, anu on tier 
he caused the vacant crown to be placed with great pomp and 
rejoicings. It this election proved of importance to the 
Jewish nation, it was no less advantageous to the king ; lor, 
at the time of the nuptial least Mordecai discovered a design 
which had been formed against the life ot the monarcn by 
two discontented courtiers, who were, in consequence ol lis 
report, apprehended and put to death. The good Morde- 
cai, however, was not anxious to obtain any distinctions ior 
himself through his connexions with the queen. On the 
contrary, by his advice she concealed the kiowlege oi her 
kindred from her consort. For this conduct a very sufficient 
reason may be assigned. The debased condition oi the jews 
mi^ht have prejudiced the mind of the kiugagahiot his new 
partner, had he known she belonged to that despised people 
beiore he was wed acquainted with her good qualities. JVior- 
deeai was content with having discharged his trust to his 
cousin and ward ; and left the issue of this extraordinary 
change in her condition to the disposal of heaven. 

Another cause tor this silence, perhaps, was this ; as Ha- 
inan, the pri ne minister of Persia and the great iavourite 
of the king, was a descendant oi the Am =k ivues, a peepie, 
who had had always a rooted animosits against is; ad, his in- 
fla uce upon the mind of his masier mignt have proved pi e- 
judicial to the queen and to her friends. 

So great, indeed, was the ascendancy which this Haman 
had over the king, that he not only obtained trie government 
of the empire, but by a royal edict ail persons v\ ere com- 
manded to do him homage. We are not told u httnei tms 
act included any thing like idolatrous respect, but some scru- 
ple ot a conscientious kind operated upon Mordecai. and ne 
o nitted to pay the accustomed reverence to this pageant of 
royal favour. The station of Mordecai was at the gate of 

* Ch. ii. 20. 



332 SCRIPTURE BIOGRAPHY. 

the palace, and, therefore, his neglect was the sooner noticed 
b) the rest of tht attendants, who, to ingratiate themselves 
with the minister, informed him of the contemptuous beha- 
viour of this captive Jew. Tne base mind of Haman was 
instantly filled with wrath ; but instead of examining and 
punishing the offender, he meditated at once the utter extir- 
pation of the whole Jewish race. Being as superstitious 
as he was sanguinary, Haman had recourse to divination by 
Jot, to determine on the fittest time and means for putting his 
abominable design into execution. This delayed the scheme, 
and afforded an opportunity of totally defeating it. After 
wearying himself, probably, with attending to various de- 
vices, Haman ventured to propose a massacre of the Jews to 
the king, alleging that they were a perverse and seditious 
people, who, by their numbers and disposition, were dan- 
gerous to the state. To recommend his proposal still more., 
he made an offer of greatly enriching the royal treasury by 
the spoils which wouid be obtained. The king, though he 
put too great a confidence in his infamous servant, was not 
to be swayed by mercenary motives, and thinking that Haman 
acted herein from the pure principles of loyalty and patri- 
otism, he consented to the measure, and gave him a grant of 
the plunder. 

The weak conduct of the Persian monarch in so readily 
yielding his consent to a horrible massacre without thorough- 
ly inquiring into the case and character of the devoted peo<* 
pie. deserves the deepest reprobation. A truly generous and 
discerning mind would, on the suggestion of so dreadful an 
act, have looked upon the man who recommended it with 
jealousy, if not with abhorrence j but such was the predo- 
minance of this wicked minister over the king, that he ob- 
tained, without difficulty, the inhuman edict, which de- 
voted thousands ot men, women and children, on a day 
therein appointed, to destruction, because one of their people 
had neglected to pay him profound reverence. After sign-^ 
ing and sealing this horrible instrument, the king and Ha- 
man made themselves merry with wine. But we need not 
look into the palace of Shushan to see with what ease some 
men can sport themselves with the miseries of their fellow- 
creatures. The u trader in the persons of men," and the> 
planter who gathers riches from the sweat and labour oi his 
slaves, can not in luxury and intemperance while they are 
groaning beneath the lash ajid are expiring in the most ex-* 



ESTHER AND MORDECAI. 331 

When we behold the Persian king and 
his minister quaffing their wine merrily, after issuing the 
mandate or death againsc an innocent people, let us reflect 
with indignation on the oppressions, cruelties, and insolence 
of those petty tyrants, wno, under the Christian name, man- 
acle the bodies, and even letter the minds oi the forlorn 
Africans. 

While intemperance reigned in the palace consternation 
prevailed through the city, particularly among the poor 
people who were doomed to destruction. Mordecai was 
filled with sorrow, and covered himself with sackcloth and 
ashes, which being reported to the queen, sue sent a messen- 
ger to him with change oi apparel, and to enquire into the 
reason oi his uncommon grici. Her concern was not less 
than his - hen the messenger brought an account of the in- 
tended massacre. But though she was extremely anxious to 
exert her interest in behalf of her devoted friends, yet there 
was an alarming impediment which appeared to prevent the 
possibility of success. By the laws oi Persia it was death 
for any one, even the royal consort, to enter the king's pre- 
sence uncalled by him, unless he should graciously extend 
his royal sceptre to the intruder. Oi this circumstance 
Esther gave Mordecai information, but he replied, that no 
fears for herself ought to hinder her from mediating in be- 
half of her nation ; and he observed for her encouragement 
that her advancement was probably ordered by Providence 
for the express purpose that she should be the instrument of 
sa\ iug the people of God. This at once brought the queen 
to a resolution of making an orlenng of herself in the cause 
of ner count) y men. But she would not undertake it with- 
out, religious preparation. She put on sackcloth and fasted 
three days, in which respect her example was readily lot- 
lowed by all the Jews in Shushan. 

When the davs of lasting were ended, the queen, attired in 
her royal robes, ventured into the presence ot the king, whose 
heart was affected at her approach, and he instant!) extend- 
ed the see pyre of peace towards her. By a transition not 
improper, may we not consider this beautiiul incident as re- 
presenting the King ol Glory and ins redeemed Church ? 
Banished from his presence by sin, it would have been death 
for mortal man to approach his mansion unless the golden 
sceptre of peace and mercy were extended from the throne* 
The doom of endless misery was pronounced upon us ail^ 



'5*4 SCRIPTURE BIOGRAPHY, 

through the machinations of Satan, our infernal adversary 
and accuser, but a Mediator devoted himself in our stead, 
and interposed between us and destruction. The head of the 
church hath prepared for us in the presence oi the divine ma- 
jesty ; grace was poured into his lips, he prevailed for the 
wretched captives ; and therefore the sounds ot joy, instead 
OS lamentation, arise- from their dwellings, and the destroyer 
feath fallen i:vto his own pit. 

Tne king surprised at Esther's appearance, and thinking 
tha something extraordinary must have been the occasion of 
st, anticipated any petition she might have to present, by 
freely offering ^ajtever she should ask, even to the hah of 
feis kingdom* Not thinking it prudent to urge her request 
immediately, she only solicited the company of the king and 
Hainan at a banquet, which she had prepared for them that 
day. This was readily complied with, and at her request 
another visit was appointed tor the day following* 

An honour so unexpected and distinguished elated the 
mind of Haman beyond all bounds.; ao that when he went 
home he collected his friend together, that he might have the 
pleasure of relating it to them. But what earthly satisfac- 
tion is without its alloy ? And what honour is there without 
^^Bonification ? Tie proud and vengeful mind of Haman, 
though wonderfully delighted with the favour of his master 
and the condescension of the queen, could not overlook the 
disrespect with which he was treated by an insignificant 
Jew; " yet all this." says he, " availeth me nothing as 
long as I see Mordecai the Jew sitting at the king's gate."*' 
Should the wicked man have honours and riches heaped 
lijpon Win. beyond measure, still let but a harmless reptile, 
a feeble warm, offend him, and he is miserable. His mind 
is irritated, and the venom of malice and envy diffuses a 
deadly poison over all his enjoyments, and embitters every 
pleasure. 

Tie advice of Haman's friends to put Mordecai to death, 
was greedilv swallowed by him, though he had already fixed 
the day for the utter extirpation of the Jewish people through- 
out the empire, dut there was something peculiarly grati- 
fying to his malice in making Mordecai a more conspicuous 
example than the rest; and therefore, at the instigation of 
Ids counsellors, he caused a gallows to be erected fifty feet 
high, not entertaining a doubt bu,t that by his influence with 

* Vev. 13. 



ESTHER AND MORDECAI. 335 

tht king he should obtain an order for ;.he execution. But 
while he was thus felicitating him sell in the assurance oi 
Mordecai's fate, Providence was accomplishing the destruc- 
tion of his schemes and the advancement of the man whom 
he hated. 

On that very night when Haman was erecting a gallows 
for Mordecai the king was so disturbed that he could not 
sleep. In this restless state he commanded the records or' 
the kingdom to be read to him, and when the circumstance 
of Mordecai's discovery of the conspiracy was related, the 
king immediately enquired what reward had been conferred 
on him for his loyalty ? Being told that nothing had been 
done for the man, he was resolved to atone for the neglect, 
and enquired who was in waiting. At that moment Ha- 
inan was in attendance to -solicit the king's warrant for the 

execution of Mordecai. He also could not sleep, for 

thoughts of revenge disturbed his rest. Early, therefore, 
does he hasten to court that he may procure the death of an 
honest man, who had too much integrity to court his favour 
by servility. On entering the royal presence, a question was 
put to him which could not but mislead his perverted mind. 
" What shall be done unto the man whom the king de- 
lighteth to honour ?" Were the first sounds that fell upon 
the ear of Haman as he bowed before the throne. Could 
the ambitious statesman entertain an idea, after all the fa- 
vours he had recently received, that there was a man in the 
kingdom whom the king delighted to honour except him- 
self ? It was natural for him to suppose that the infatuated 
Ahasuerus was devising some new and more public mark of 
favour to bestow upon his favourite. Possessed ot this idea, 
he instantly proposed that the person whom the king intend- 
ed to honour should be conducted in a triumphal manner 
through the city. 

The advice was extravagant enough ; but Haman, being 
fully satisfied that no other person than himself was in- 
tended, determined that nothing should be wanting to ren- 
der his glory dazzling in the eyes of the people. What 
must have been the dissppointment, the horror and anguish 
of Haman when he was ordered instantly to see these dis- 
tinctions conferred upon Mordecai, and to attend the pro- 
cession as a servant ! 

Thus the mighty fabric of ambition fell with a mighty 
crash; Hainan's schemes were blasted as if by a suddes 



336 SCRIPTURE BIOGRAPHY. 

flash from heaven ; his envy, malice, and revenge all 
turner! inward upon his own heart and rendered his misery 
complete* 

T*he mandate of Ahasuerus must be obeyed ; Haman leads 
in the procession, and proclaims aloud the praises of the very 
Mordecai for whom a few hours before he had prepared a 
gibbet. 

Haman was lamenting his disgrace, in the midst of his fa- 
mily, when he was called to the royal entertainment. This 
mark -of distinction, probably, served in some degree to alle- 
viate his disappointment, and, therefore smothering his cha- 
grin, he hastened to the palace. But the storm was now ga- 
thered to a pitch, and Haman had scarcely begun to com- 
pose himself, when the queen stated her case, and that of 
her devoted people, to the king, in such pathetic terms, that 
his anger was kindled, and he immediately demanded who 
had projected their ruin* From this we may well infer 
that when Haman obtained the decree against the Jews he* 
had taken advantage of the king's intemperance. Ahasuerus 
appears to have forgotten the circumstance, otherwise, he 
would hardly have asked who the author of the abominable 
project was ; and as he and Haman at that time were 
4t drinking wine," we may well suppose that this villanous 
minister contrived first to stupify the senses of his master, 
and then easily procured his signature to the bloody pro- 
clamation. To what dreadful evils does intemperance lead 
mankind ; and to what shocking impositions are not even 
persons of good dispositions liable by giving way to a habit 
of drunkenness ! Tnis led the king of Persia to an implicit 
confidence in the treacherous Haman, and that artful minis- 
ter, knowing his master's propensity, encouraged him in it to 
promote his own vile purposes. When Ahasuerus was made 
acquainted with the villainy of his favourite, he rose from, 
table in great wrath, and retired into the garden. Haman 
finding matters running violently against him, fell on his face 
ou the bed or couch where the queen sat, to supplicate his 
life through her intercession. He was in this posture when 
the king entered, who, supposing, that he had meant some 
violence to the queen's person, ordered him to be executed 
on the very gallows which he had prepared for Mordecai. 

Thus fell Haman into the very snare which he had laid for 
another, and all his honours and estates were transferred to 
the Jew for whom he had prepared an ignominious death that 
very morning. 



ESTHER AND MORDECAI. 33 f 

The decree against the Jews still remained in force, nor 
was it in the power of the king, according to the Persian 
laws, to revoke it. But at the earnest solicitations of the 
queen he issued another proclamation, empowering the 
Jews to defend themselves against their enemies ; and such 
was the influence of it, that numbers came to their assist- 
ance, so that they easily vanquished all who rose against 
them. In commemoration of this providential deliver- 
ance the Jews observe a yearly festival, which is called the 
feast of Purim, or " the feast of Lots " in allusion to 
Himan's having consulted by lot on the means and time to 
effect their destruction. This feast is celebrated on the 
fourteenth and fifteenth of the month Adar, which month 
answers to our February and March ; but on the thirteenth 
they observe a fast to commemorate the day fixed for their 
extirpation. 

In this story we may perceive the wisdom and goodness 
of God in counteracting the evil designs of ambitious men 
against his church. It exhibits also the pernicious nature 
and consequences of an envious spirit. The fall of Haman 
and the advancement of Mordecai shew that the path of 
the wicked is slippery and terminates in shame and destruc- 
tion, while that of the righteous, though obscure and rugged 
for a time, is sure and honourable, " and shineth more and 
more," or becometh more glorious " unto the perfect day." 

That day is hastening on apace in which the triumph of 
the^wicked shall cease for ever ; and when the despised, 
poor and afflicted children of God shall be raised on high to 
the confusion of all their enemies. Their accuser and ad- 
versary, with his associates, shall be turned into the pit of 
destruction, and " then shall the redeemed of the Lord return 
and come with singing unto Zion, and everlasting joy shall 
be upon their heads ; they shall obtain gladness and joy, and 
sorrow and mourning shall flee away."* 

* Jsaiah. li. 11> 



217 



MB' SCRIPTURE BIOGRAPHY 

ST JOHN THE BAPTIST. /3%/f*** 

Beheaded anno Domini 31. 

IT is well knov r. that just before the dawn of day the dark- 
ness is at its greatest pitch, and that the air is much colder 
than at am other ti e. In this state the morning star 
" sheds his beams" with peculiar lustre, and appears to call 
islumbering mortals to welcome the approach of day. But 
there are few v» ho heed the invitation, or can bring them- 
selves to renounce their downy luxury for the fragrant incense 
oi the morning. A deeper torpidity then seizes the faculties,. 
and it requires a strong degree oi resolution to get the better 
of the pleasing-lassitude. 

Such was the moral condition of the world when the day 
of human redemption, so variously prefigured, and so often 
predicted, was about to break, and the k - sun of righteous- 
ness to arise with healing in his wings "* 

In the Jewish church there was a deadness to spiritual 
objects ; gross darkness was spread out over all its services ; 
priests and people, generally speaking, were insensible to 
the life of religion, had unworthy notions of God's word, 
and were, moreover, either sunk into a Sadducean infidelity, 
or the Pharisaic superstition. 

In that dark and insensible state did the harbinger of the 
day of grace arise, and call a sleeping world to repentance 
and to a due reception of him who was to disperse the clouds 
of doubt and error, and to " bring life and immortality to 
light by his blessed gospel. "j 

There were, however, some even in that gloomy state 
who kt waited for the consolation of Israel." Among these 
were Zacharias and Elizabeth, the parents of the baptist. 
He was tw a priest of the course of Abia ;" she was " of the 
daughters of Aaron," and " they * ere both righteous be- 
fore God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances 
of the Lord blameless. "| 

These religious Israelites, it is observed, " had no child^ 
because that Elizabeth was barren, and they were both well 
stricken in years." They " who stand highest in the favour 
of God," says an admirable writer, " may, during the 
greatest part of their lives, want the external and visible 
marks of it, and lie under the burthen of reproach among 

* $(al. ii. 2. f 2 Jiia i.10. * Luke i. 1* 2.; 



ST. JOHN THE BAPTIST. 339 

men," as was the case of childless women in Judea. But 
these two pious persons, when their condition seemed des- 
perate, were upon trie eve of felicit) For of parents at their 
time of life John was to be horn, that, so the miraculous 
manner oi his birth might excite the attention of mankind, 
and dispose them to listen lo his voice when it should be 
heard in the wilderness ; *aid also that it tvight prepare them 
for that great event which was taking place, as the propl et 
Isaiah iiad foretold, kw a virgins-hall conceive and bear a son."* 

As Zacharias was officiating in the temple, Wfc in the orc.er 
of the course, and according to the custom," an heavenly 
messenger stood before him whose appearance filled him with 
terror. There is something awful even in the contemplation 
of the celestial world, and of those pure spirits who minister 
bt fore the throne of God, but what must it be to hold com- 
munion with them, especially in this state oi. weakness and 
imperfection ? Eliphaz in job, when describing an appari- 
tion .vhich came on purpose to correct his notions oi provi- 
dence, tells us what an impression it had Upon him ; % ' iear 
came upon me, ana trembling, which made ad my bones to 
s'.ak. . Then a spirit passed before my face : the hair ot my 
flesh stood up "f 

Now, these heavenly messengers came on purposes of love 
toman, without assuming any oi those appearances cacu- 
lated to excite terror a v .d dismay in the beholder. W at 
then will it be when they shall descend to execute the oivine 
vengeance upon the guilty ? Who will stand undaunted 
when the flaming ministers of wrath snail call mankind to 
the bar of God, and execute his sentence upon all the work- 
ers of evil ? if the most pious men have been seized with 
fear when favoured with an heavenly vision, let us tremble 
in the consideration that the angels are constantly around us, 
and observe all the evil actions we commit, and record all the 
vain words that we utter. 

Millions of spiritual creatures walk the earth 

Unseen both when we wake and when we sleep. — Milton-, 

When the angel saw the agitation which his appearance 
had occasioned in the mind of Zacharias, he bade him not 
to " fear," for that he was come to declare to him the divine 

* Bishop's Home's Considerations on the Life and Death Jolm the 
Baptist, page ?. 

f Jobiv. 14, 15. 



<54® SCRIPTURE BIOGRAPHY. 

favour, and to promise him a son by his wife Elizabeth, 
■whom he should cail John, and who should go before the 
Lord in the spirit and power of Elias, to turn the hearts of 
the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wis- 
dom of the just, to make ready a people prepared for the 
Lord.* 

Zacharias, though a desendant of Abraham, had not Abra- 
ham's faith. The patriarch believed the promise > " though 
against hope," but this good priest staggered at the declara- 
tion made by an angel at the altar of God, and had the te- 
merity to ask for a sign by which he should know whether it 
"would come to ^ass, " seeing he was an old man and his wife 
well stricken in years." His demand, indeed, was complied 
with, but it was as a punishment for his unbelief. He was 
struck speechless, and in that state he remained till the day 
that the promised child was circumcised, at which ceremony 
the tongue which had been so long silent was loosened ; and 
Zacharias, being fdied with the Holy Ghost, delivered a 
sublime hymn, in which he Celebrates the praises of God, 
for " remembering his holy covenant." After describing in 
the most energetic terms the blessings to attend the coming of 
the Messiah, the transported father thus addressed his infant 
son : — " And thou, child, shalt be called the prophet of the 
highest, for thou shalt go before the lace of the Lord to pre- 
pare his ways ; to give know lege of salvation unto his peo- 
ple for the remission of their sins,"f 

Of the early part of the Baptist's life we have scarcely 
any information. It is only observed, that " he grew and 
w axed strong in the spirit, and was in the desarts till the day 
of his shewing unto Israel."^ 

There is an ancient tradition that his mother Elizabeth, 
hearing of the massacre of the infants at Bethlehem, fled 
with her child into the wilderness, where, she died soon af- 
tt) ; and that his father was put to death in the temple, by 
the command of Herod, for refusing to discover the place 
where his son was concealed. To confirm this, some old 
commentators will have it that this was the Zacharias whom 
our Lord mentions as having been slain between the porch 
aru. the altar, hut of this there is no sufficient proof. 

Though consecrated from the womb to the ministerial 
office John did not enter upon it in the heat of youth, but 
after several years spent in solitude and in a course of self- 

* Luke i. 17. f lb. i. 16, 17. * lb. i 3<fc 



ST. JOHN THE BAPTIST. 341 

denial. He had gained the conquests of his own passions, 
and was mortified to all the temptations and enju\ ments of 
the world, before he came out to preach repentance to others. 
Divine knowlege is not to he acquired in the bus) scenes of 
lift, amidst the noise of folly, the clamour oi parties, the con- 
fusion of opinions, and the allurements of vice, in the world 
Ave may iearn much of what concerns the world, much of 
what is generall) admired and sought after, hut if we would 
gain spiritual wisdom, if we would obtain the mastery ol our 
passion*, and aa habitual love of holiness, we must, at least, 
occasionally retire lrom tie world fck to commune with our 
own hearts and be still." 

Various and striking are the prophetical descriptions of/ 
the Baptist in the Old Testament That by Isaiah is so di- 
rect that no man except a most obstinate infidel can deny its 
application : " The voice of him that crieth in the wilder- 
ness, prepar. ye the way of the Lord, make straight in the 
desart a high way for our God."* The voice which thus 
sounded in the prophet's ears before it was really heard upon 
the earth was that ot the Baptist, who, at a proper season, 
was sent to dispose the hearts and affections of men for the re- 
ception of the Saviour when he should make his appearance.^ 

Aialachi has the following remarkable prediction : " Be- 
hold I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of 
the great and dreadful day of the Lord. And he shall turn 
the heart of the lathers to the children, and the heart of the 
children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with 
a curse." That this was meant of John the Baptist we have 
the testimony of our Lord himself, who declared to his dis- 
ciples tv Elias is indeed come,"]: and to the Jews," For all the 
prophets and the law prophesied until John. And if ye will 
receive it this is Elias which was for to come."§ 

The same prophet Malachi hath another evident predic- 
tion of the coming of Messiah and of John; " Behold I 
will send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way be- 
fore me ; and the Lord whom ye seek shall suddenly come 
to his temple, even the messenger of the covenant whom ye 
delight in ; behold he shall come saith the Lord of Hosts." |) 

The Jews fell into a strange error from a misconstruction 
©f this prophet, by conceiving that the real Elijah should 
descend from heaven before the advent of Messiah. But it 

* Isaiah xl. 3. f Bishop Home. * Matt. ix. 13. 

§ lb. si, 14. }( Mai. iii. 1. 



342 SCRIPTURE BIOGRAPHY. 

is common in prophetic language to compare one person with 
another by giving to him the same name ; thus Christ him- 
self is called David, not that he was to be that very man, 
but him whom D ivid represented ; and John is called 
Elijah because he was to be like him i<r in spirit and in pow;r." 

When he was thoroughly prepared for his great work:, 
John received his commission to enter the busy world and to 
call sinners to repentance. He was then thirty years old, 
which was also the age of our Saviour when he entered 
upon his office, and was consecrated by the spirit at his 
baptism. " This," says a judicious divine, u may inti- 
mate, that neither the exigencies of mankind, nor a con- 
sciousness of abilities tor the work, can be pleaded as a suf- 
ficient warrant for a man to run before he is sent, and take 
the sacred office upon himself without a regular and lawful 
fcall. The institutions of God are not without a reason, 
and he will cot be served by the breach of his command- 
ments." 

The appearance and the manners of the Baptist when he 
first came out into the world excited general attention. 

His clothing was mean, being of " camel's hair bound 
round him with a leathern girdle," and his food consisted of 
" locusts and wild honey. "# We are not to infer from 
hence that the ministers of religion are to imitate John in 
the rigid austerity of his life any more than in the erreme- 
tical state which preceded it. The Messiah himself followed 
not his example, nor has he left any injunction upon his 
followers to separate themselves from the wond or to abstain 
from its enjoyments. But the conduct of John affords an 
admirable lesson, and teaches us that no man can be a 
proper or a useful preacher whose own life does not com- 
port with the doctrines he delivers, and the precepts which 
he inculcates. 

The message which John declared was authoritative, as 
became one who had received a commission from above ; 
u Repent ye for the kingdom of heaven is at hand." Re- 
pentance, or a change of mind, and an amendment ot life, 
must precede the establishment of Christ's kingdom in the 
heart. The love of the world must be taken away, with 
every inordinate desire and affrction, before the heart can be 
in a proper condition to receive the graces of the spirit which 
flow from faith in the Redeemer. 

* Matt. iii. 4 



ST. JOHN THE BAPTIST, C>4S 

John began, likt a wise master-builder, to lay his founda- 
tion deep in mortification and seif-denial before he pro- 
claimed the approach of the Messiah. In like manner no 
sinner should be encouraged to make the promises and con- 
solations of the gospel his own, who has not given unequi- 
vocal signs of a renovated mind, by " turning from the wick- 
edness which he hath committed, and doing that which is 
law fid and right." It is a shocking error that places all 
Christianity in sentimental persuasion, or in a mere inward 
experience, as it is called, ©f the operations of grace. Our 
Saviour, in all his discourses and parables, inculcated a very 
different doctrine, and plainly declared that genuine righte- 
ousness must be exhibited in a holy life and conversation. 
It is " by their fruits that we are taught to judge of men" 
who pretend to religion, and not by the relation of their 
feelings and experiences. We are also taught to judge of 
ourselves in the same way, for the faith which does not na- 
turally lead us to good works is a deceitful notion ; and 
though a man may flatter himself that he hath the full as- 
surance of that which is necessary to salvation, yet if it does 
not purify his mind, and regulate his actions, according to 
the gospel precepts, he is at a distance from the kingdom of 
heaven. 

The preaching of John attracted considerable notice ; for 
at that time there was great expectation of an extraordinary 
person to arise for the redemption of Israel, though the Jews 
all labour under wrong ideas of the person, nature, and 
office of the Messiah. There was something peculiarly 
striking in the manner and the doctrine of John, which 
brought him numerous hearers and disciples. He ap- 
peared like one of the ancient prophets, and the austerity 
of his life diffused an awe around his person, and created a 
reverence for his doctrine. " There went out unto him 
Jerusalem, and all Judea, and all the region round about 
Jordan, and were baptized of him in Jordan, confessing 
their sins."* 

His discourses were pungent, and adapted to awaken 
men's minds from a state of self-confidence, and to fill them 
with penitential sorrow on account of their transgressions." 
He was particularly severe upon the Pharisees, who trusted 
in themselves that they were righteous, and upon the Sad- 
ducees, who were unconcerned about a future state, and the 

* Matt. iii. 5, 6. 



344 SCRIPTURE BIOGRAPHY, 

doctrine of redemption. John flattered none who came to 
him, but delivered the truths of God with plainness and in 
terms suited to every man's condition. Nor would he 
baptize any who did not manifest signs of repentance, for 
it is observed, that those to whom he administered that holy 
oHinance '■' confessed their sins." But at the same time he 
suffered them not to depart with an idea that by this cere- 
mony they obtained the pardon of their guilt. This sacra- 
mental rite only prepared them for the sanctifying influence 
of the Holy Spirit, which should be his gift who alone has 
the power of granting the remission of sins. " I, indeed," 
says he, u baptize you with water unto repentance ; he that 
cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not 
worthy to bear ; he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost 
and with fire."* 

Thus on the banks of the Jordan did John announce the 
Redeemer of Israel, and prepare men for his reception by the 
sacrament of baptism. While he was thus engaged Jesus 
came from Galilee, and presented himself in the assembly 
that attended upon John, " to be baptized of him." " He 
who knew no sin. but was to take away the sins of all other 
men, presented himself in the crowd of sinners, as one of 
them, and solicited the baptism of repentance, not that water 
mip-ht sanctifv him, but that he might " sanctify water to the 
mystical washing away of sin."f 

Though Jesus came without any marks of distinction, 
but humble and submissive to the minister of God, he was 
quickly discovered by the baptist. Surprised that the mas- 
ter should so far stoop as to solicit baptism from the servant, 
that the Lord of life should come to receive ablution when 
he had no sins to confess, or to wash away, John at first re- 
fused him : " I have need to be baptized of thee," says he, 
" and comest tho tou me ?" He misunderstood our Lord's 
design in thus submitting to the ordinance of baptism, which 
was to give it his indelible sanction, and, as our substitute, 
to obey in all things, not only the moral, but the ceremo- 
nial precepts of the law. This is the exact import of his 
reply to the Baptist, and being so understood by him it 
silenced all his objections at once : and Jesus answering, 
said unto him, suffer it to be so now, for thus it becometh 
us to fulfil all righteousness."^: 

A beautiful feature in John's character is the lowly spirit 

* Matt. fci. 11. | Office of Baptism. * Matt. iii. U> 15. 



ST. JOHN THE BAPTIST. 345 

which he manifested on every occasion. Great popularity 
is dangerous to the most sanctified minds. In what a cri- 
tical situation, then was the Baptist placed, when he was 
followed hy men of all ranks and sects, when his fame was 
echoed far and near, and when " all men mused in their 
hearts concerning him, whether he was the Christ ?"* 

The Sanhedrim themselves were in a state of perplexity 
on the subject, and wishing to be satisfied on a matter of 
so much concern, sent a deputation to John with this ques- 
tion — " Who art thou ?"f John knew their drift, but readily 
answered, that he was not the Messiah whom they expect- 
ed. They then asked him u what then ? Art thou Elias, 
and he saith I am not ;" that is, not in the sense in which 
you look for him. They still urged him with their enqui- 
ries,' 4 Art thou the prophet?" Meaning, as is commonly 
supposed, Jeremiah, or one of the prophets whom the 
Jews expected to arise from the dead. To this also the 
Baptist answered " no ;" but the messengers were not to 
be driven from their purpose. The concise answer given 
by John to all their questions served onl) to heighten their 
curiosity ; they therefore came to the very point, and com- 
pelled him, as it were, to give some satisfactory and ex- 
plicit answer. " Then said they to him, who art thou 
that we may give an answer to them that sent us ? What 
sayest thou of thyself ?" John readily complied with their 
request, and by applying to himself one of the clearest pre- 
dictions in the prophetic scriptures, pointed them directly 
to the glorious personage, of whom he was the precursor. 
u He said, I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness, 
make straight the way of the Lord, as said the prophet 
Esaias." 

So positive a declaration ought immediately to have filled 
their minds with admiration of his humility, and have 
prompted them to a devout enquiry concerning the approach 
of the sun of righteousness, but " they were Pharisees," 
and the manners and doctrine of the Baptist were repugnant 
to their ostentatious sentiments. From tempting him by 
artful questions, which answered not the end they had in 
view, these hypocrites proceeded to censure him for assuming 
a commission to which he had no right. " Why baptizcst 
thou then, if thou be not that Christ nor Elias, neither that 
prophet V s 

• Liikc in. 15. f John I K>. 



UQ SCRIPTURE BIOGRAPHY. 

Unmoved by this reproach, he modestly explained the na- 
ture of his institution to be only preparatory to a spiritual 
one which was to be administered shortly by the Messiah* 
" I indeed baptize you with water, but there standeth one 
among you whom ye know not j he it is who coming after 
me is preferred before me, whose s^ose latchet I am not 
worthy to unloose." Thus did the Baptist bear witness to 
hh master in the presence of the priests, and Levites, and the 
people, at " Bethabara, beyond Jordan, where he was bap- 
tizing." He took pains to divert the attention of men from 
himself, and to direct all their solicitude and admiration to that 
glorious personage of whom he was the harbinger. The ve- 
ry day after this interview with the messengers of the San- 
hedrim, John embraced the opportunity, as Jesus was com- 
ing to him, of announcing him to the people as the Messiah : 
" Behold the lamb of God which taketh away the sin of the 
world." 

This declaration was explicit, and comprehended the me- 
diatorial character of Christ in the most appropriate lan- 
guage ; but the effect it produced on the people is not re- 
corded. The next day, however, John seeing him as he 
walked, saith to two of his disciples who were with him, 
" Behold the lamb of God," on which they immediately 
quitted their master and followed Jesus. This was the very 
thing which John intended. He wanted not to retain autho- 
rity, or to be followed by the people any longer, since the 
" fulfUler of all righteousness" was entered upon his great 
office. The " light of the world" being now risen, the " day 
star," which proclaimed his approach, must necessarily de- 
crease and sink away beneath his overpowering splendour- 
John was content with having faithfully discharged his mis- 
sion ; and it gave him uneasiness when some of his dis- 
ciples expressed a degree of concern and envy at the en- 
creasing fame of Jesus. They were jealous for the honour 
of their master, and thus expressed their complaint : " Rab- 
bi, he who was with thee beyond Jordan, to whom thou 
bearest witness, benold the same baptizeth, and all men come 
gnto him." They thought it presumptuous in one who had 
received baptism from John, to minister the same ordinance, 
and to gather disciples, so little had they profited by their 
master's repeated declarations, that he was only come as a 
messenger to prepare the way of the Lord. A very differ- 
ent spirit animated this exalted character ; instead of being 



ST. JOHN THE BAPTIST. 34? 

concerned at the intelligence which his disciples communi- 
cated, he fejoiced and en ieavoured to correct their wrong 
notions by describing plainly the superior authority of Jesus. 
Ye you yourselves bear me witness wl that 1 said 1 am not the 
Christ, but that I am sent before him. He that hath the bride 
is the bridegroom ; but the friend of the bridegroom, which, 
standeth and neareth him, rejoiceth greatly because of the 
bridegroom's voice. This my joy, therefore, is fulfilled. He 
must encrease but 1 must decrease. He that cometh from 
above is above all : he that is of the earth is earthly, and 
speaketh of the earth ; he that cometh from heaven is above 
all, and what he hath seen and heard that he testiiieth ; and 
no man receiveth his testimony."*' Such was the full smd 
decisive testimony which John bore to the divine nature and 
the mediatorial office of the Messiah. The church, consist- 
ing of the redeemed out of all lands, belongs to Jesus Christ 
as the bridegroom, and therefore to him every faithful minis- 
ter, like the Baptist refer men as their Lord and God w who 
is above all." It was a source of abundant delight to John 
that the Messiah's kingdom was begun ; and though sensi- 
ble of his own speedy dissolution, he declares that his "joy 
was fulfilled, because he nad heard the bridegroom's voice." 
This alone can give true content and pleasure to the mind of 
man when all things are warning him that he is " of the earth, 
earthly," and must shortly sink into the dark and silent 
grave. There can be no satisfaction in such a state of de- 
cay but what ariseth from friendship with Christ, the bride- 
groom of his church, from a constant reliance upon his me- 
rits as the complete atonement for our sins, and from a hum- 
ble obedience of the divine precepts contained in his blessed 
gospel. 

The life of the Baptist was a continued course of absti- 
nence, mortification, poverty, and labour ; and the close of 
it was such as became the messenger of a lowly and suffer- 
ing Redeemer. His extraordinary sanctity attracted the 
notice of Herod, the tetrarch of Galilee, who had the curio- 
sity to hear him ; and so powerful were the discourses of the 
Baptist, that Herod took a pleasure in attending to them, 
and was moved thereby to do many commendable things.. 
But his was a superficial reformation, for at this very time 
he kept Herodias, the wife of his brother Philip. John, 
like a fathful minister of God, neither passed over this cir- 

* John iii. 23 3?. 



348 SCRIPTURE BIOGRAPHY. 

cumstance in silence, nor did he touch upon it in gentle 
terms, bat plainly reproved Herod ior his criminal conduct : 
* fc It is not lawful for thee to have thy brother's wife."* As 
long as the preacher omitted to notice this tender point, He- 
rod respected him, and paid a ready attention to his dis- 
courses ; but when he denounced the terrors of the law against 
this adulterous connection, then the mask of hypocrisy fell off, 
and the laithiui monitor was cast into prison. Sinners are 
willing enough to hear general declamations against vice, 
or even declamations against particular offences, provided 
their own propensities and habits are left unnoticed. The co- 
vetous ana unfeeling wretch will commend a discourse level- 
lea against intemperance and debauchery, and the libertine 
wiii besiow warm encomiums on the sermon which delineates 
wun accuracy the sordid miser, and which powerfully ex- 
poses the sinlulness of an inordinate love of riches. Every 
nidi: will patiently bear what does not render his own con- 
science uneasy j but the instant the attack is made upon his 
bosom-iniquity, and the application is so close and direct 
that he cannot avoid it, then the heart swells against the 
faithtui monitor, and respect is changed into hatred. 

John, in prison, meditates not upon his affliction, but 
upon the interests of his heavenly Lord. The wonderful 
works oi Jesus being reported to him, he sent two of his 
disciples to enquire, " Art thou he that should come, or do 
we look for another . ? "f Was the faith of this excellent man 
then so weak that he should be now in doubt upon a subject 
on which he had repeatedly delivered his testimony ? Can 
we suppose that he wanted this information for his own satis- 
faction ; he who had witnessed the inauguration of Christ 
en the brink of the Jordan ; and who had, moreover, decla^ 
red that this " was the lamb of God which taketh away the sin 
o; the world." 

This certainly could not have been the case. John was ful- 
ly convinced that kt Jesus was the Christ," but his disciples 
were not so well persuaded. They still, with a very laud- 
able zeal, continued attached to their master, though in a 
dungeon. For their saises then did John propound this 
question to Jesus ; and our Lord in his answer cairied on 
tne same charitable plan by instructing the disciples while he 
seemed to be instructing their master. 

He appealed to his miracles, which he wrought in their 

* Mark xvi. 8. f Matt. si, 3. 



ST. JOHN THE BAPTIST. 349 

presence, as decisive evidences of his being the promised 
Messiah, since these very things were predicted of him cen- 
turies before by the prophets. M Then said he unto them, 
Go your way and tell John what things ye have seen and 
heard ; how that the blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are 
cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, to the poor the 
gospel is preached. And blessed is he whosoever shall not 
be offended in me." 

These were tidings which rendered the dismal abode of 
John more cheerful than the palace of his persecutors. John 
was :alm, tranquil, and happy in his dungeon, while the 
wretched Herod and his abandoned partner were a prey to 
the worst of passions. 

Though Herod had no regard for religion, or the corn- 
icon principles of justice, he had some fear of the Jews who 
held John in high estimation as a prophet. He had besides 
a fear of the Baptist in his heart, for such is the command- 
ing influence of eminent sanctity and zeal, as to inspire 
even the wicked with some degree of esteem and respect. 

Herod's intention, perhaps, was to keep John in close con- 
finement ; but Herodias entertained a deadly hatred against 
the holy man, and 4l having a quarrel against him she fasten- 
cd upon htm as a ferocious beast does upon its prey."* 

Vengeful minds are indefatigable in their pursuit, and 
having once formed their determination they are seldom 
long in putting into execution. An opportunity soon pre- 
sented itself to the merciless Herodias, and she was not want- 
ing in seizing it for her sanguinary purpose. Herod kept 
his birth-day in much state, and " made a great supper to his 
lords, high captains, and chief estates oH Galilee." On that 
occasion Salome the daughter of Herodias, by her lawful 
husband Philip, was sent by her moiru r to dance before 
the company. T|je pious Bishop Hall observes on the cir- 
cumstance, that u dancing in itself, as it is a set, regular, 
harmonious, graceful motion, cannot be unlawful any more 
than walking or running." But as another excellent pre- 
late remarks, " for a young lady to appear as a dancer be- 
fore Herod, and his lords, high captains, and chief estates 
of Galilee, probably when they were well warmed with 
wine became only the daughter of an Herodias, educated 
by her own mother." 

* Markvi. 19. 



350 SCRIPTURE BIOGRAPHY. 

Herod was so delighted with the performance of Salome 
that he immediate^ bound himself by a rash oath to give her 
" whatever she should ask, even to the half of his kingdom. 57 
He little thought what a dreadful price he was to pay for 
the entertainment which he had received. The whole of 
bis kingdom was of infinitely less value than his immortal 
soul ; and yet this was the recompence demanded. Salome 
hastens to inform her mother of the extravagant promise 
which had been made by Herod ; and having received her 
instructions, she, without any hesitation, enters again the 
royal presence, and requires " the head of John the Baptist in 
a charger." 

Herod was astonished and troubled at the shocking re- 
quest. He " was yery sorry," yet, u for his oath's sake, 
and for their sakes which sat with him, he would not reject 
her." 

Thus rather than break a rash oath made in a fit of in- 
temperance, Herod yielded to the commission of a crime at 
which nature revolts. But he was entangled in the snares 
of guilt, and had like Ahab, " sold himself to another Je- 
zebel, to work wickedness in the sight of the Lord." The 
deed was done in the darkness of the night, and, perhaps, 
the Baptist was awakened from the sweet sleep of innocence 
to submit his neck to the executioner. The head was con« 
veyed to the palace, and in the presence of the assembly de- 
livered to this young damsel, who, without being shocked 
at the dreadful object, readily accepted the reward of her 
performance, and took it to her mother. It would seem 
hardly credible that so much insensibility and depravity 
could possess a female heart, and that at so early a period 
of life ; but Salome was the daughter of Herodias, whose 
instruction and example were united to inspire her mind 
with very vicious propensity, and an abhorrence of all that 
was good. 

The death of John was painful but momentary ; it was 
sudden but it could not find him unprepared. " He had 
kept the faith and preserved a conscience void of offence. 
He had done his duty, and waited daily and hourly, we may 
be sure for his departure. He was now, therefore, called 
off from his station with honour, to quit the well-fought 
field for the palace of the Great King j to refresh himself 
after the dust and toil, and heat of the day, by bathing in 
the fountain of life and immortality ; to exchange his blood- 



ST. JOHN THE BAPTIST, 351 

stained armour for a robe of glory, and to have his tempo- 
rary labours rewarded with eternal rest; to sit down with 
Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of God ; 
and as the friend of the bridegroom to enter into the joy of 
his Lord. From the darkness and confinement of a prison 
he passed to the liberty and light of heaven ; and while ma- 
lice was gratified with a sight of his head, and his body was 
carried by a few friends in silence to the grave, his immortal 
spirit repaired to a court, where no Herod desires to have 
his brother's wife ; where no Herodias thirsts after the blood 
of a prophet; where he who hath laboured, with sincerity 
and diligence, in the work of reformation, is sure, to be well 
received ; when holiness, zeal, and constancy, " are crown- 
ed and receive alms from the Sou of God, whom they con- 
fessed in the world."* 

• 2 Esdr. ii. 45, 4T. Bishop Horne> 



352 SCRIPTURE BIOGRAPHY. 

JESUS CHRIST. %?>/>*$** - 

Morn according' to the vulgar computation, anno mundi 4004 ; 
crucified anno domini 33, 

WHEN man fell from that state of righteousness in 
waich he was created, and broke the covenant by 
which he held life and paradise, all nature sunk beneath a 
curse, and the human race became obnoxious to the divine 
justice. " Death passed upon all men," or seized upon 
them all as its victims, u because that all had sinned."* A 
state of darkness and corruption succeeded to that of light 
and purity, and the whole world was found guilty before 
God. The dreadful gulph thus opened between heaven and 
earth, and which reached down to the regions of misery, 
could never have been closed by the united wisdom, holi- 
ness, and power of men or angels. To obey in every minute 
point, and to the utmost extent the law of God, was out of 
the power of man, whose faculties are weakened, perverted, 
and denied ; — to expiate the sin of the world infinitely ex- 
ceeded the capacity of the most exalted among the hierar- 
chies of heaven. 

In this wretched state stood Adam and all his posterity 
after the fall ; cutoff from the divine favour, and doomed 
to perdition by the inflexible justice of the Almighty. Thus 
separated from the fountain of life, the human soul is said 
to be ingikstate of death, having no true knowlege of God, 
nor any^aesire of that * 4 holiness, without which no man 
shall see his face and live. "f It is necessary that this im- 
portant fact should be deeply felt and understood, otherwise 
the whole volume of inspiration will be as " a sealed book," 
and the great scheme of redemption itself be perplexed and 
unintelligible. We have been contemplating many circum- 
stances and institutions which all had a symbolical allusion 
to the great sacrifice to be offered up once for all, as an 
atonement for the sins of mankind. The promise of that 
deliverer was made as soon as the offence came, and imme- 
diately after that sentence was pronounced. It was kept as 
an inestimable treasure by the patriarchs, and transmitted by 
them as a sacred trust to their descendants. It was reiterated 
from heaven on various occasions, and to different persons. 
It formed the essence of the Mosaic ritual, and was the 

• Rom. v. 13. f Heb. xii. 14 



JESUS CHRIST. Oft 

great theme of the psalmist, and of all the prophets. But 
the xpectation of the saints of old, was never directed to the 
birth of a mere mortal man, or to the descent of a being* less 
than God. It was well understood by them all, that salva- 
vation would be the work of Jehovah alone, and that no 
created intelligence could possibly rescue human nature from 
the power of hell or the grave. 

The faith of the patriarchs, of prophets, and of all who 
" waited for the consolation of Israel," was fixed upon one 
who u should be mighty to save."f Every prediction of 
him conveys the idea of his Godhead, and of a voluntary 
degradation of himself, that we might be restored to the di- 
vine favour, and have an admission into the kingdom of 
glory. That he was to be born of a virgin, was expressly- 
declared by the prophet Isaiah, who in a striking allusion 
to the same circumstance puts this question, " Who shall de- 
clare his generation ?":(: 

The evangelist St. John, gives to the Messiah the appel- 
lation of the Logos or the Word, which was in exact con- 
formity to the sentiment of the ancient Jewish church, by 
whom the Word, the Son of God, and Jehovah were al- 
ways regarded as synonimous. 

This is indeed, as the great apostle of the Gentiles expres- 
ses it, a great mystery, M that God should manifest himself m 
the flesh,"§ and well does it call for our admiration and gra- 
titude, that u He in whomdwelleth all the fulness of the God- 
head" || should lay aside his robes of majesty, descend from 
his throne ©f glory, and be made " in the likeness of sinful 
flesh."H 

Yet nothing short of this would satisfy the demands of in- 
finite justice ; nothing less than this sacrifice could save a 
guilty race from destruction, and open to them the gates of 
eternal life. For this great event, the minds of men were 
prepared by a vast variety of prophecies, and it is vidt;nt 
that about the time when the Redeemer came, there was a 
general expectation of some extraordinary person to appear 
in the world. They whose minds were under the influence 
of carnal prejudices, looked for a mighty potentate and an il- 
lustrious conqueror ; but the quiet and simple hearted, ..-. ho 
were dead to worldly glory, u waited for the consolation of 
Israel," in silent and patient submission to the will of heaven, 

• Isaiah lxiii. 1. f lb. liii. 8. t John i. 1. § 1 Tim. iii. 16 

II Col. ii. 9. H Rom. viii. 3. 

2Y 



354 SCRIPTURE BIOGRAPHY. 

It was now a time of general peace throughout the world* 
Augustus swayed the sceptre of almost universal dominion, 
and Judea, though it had a nominal monarch of its own, was 
no more than a Roman province. 

The " fulness of time" as determined hy ancient prophecy 
being now come, a heavenly messenger was sent to an ob- 
scure Virgin of Nazareth, named Mary, to announce the ho- 
nourable tidings that she was the person chosen to bear the 
promised Messiah. u Behold," says the angel Gabriel, 
41 thou shalt conceive in thy womb and bring forth a son, and 
call his name Jesus. He shall be great, and shall be called 
the son ©f the highest ; and the Lord God shall give unto 
him the throne of his father David : and he shall reign over 
the house of Jacob for ever, and of his kingdom there shall 
be no end." # The pious virgin conscious of her spotless 
chastity, modestly replied, 4i How shall this be, seeing I know 
not a man ?" The angel then assured her that this should be 
accomplished by the Holy Ghost ; and to confirm his decla- 
ration, he informed her that " her cousin Elizabeth had con- 
ceived a son in her old age, and that it was the sixth month 
with her that was called barren." This overcame the doubts 
of Mary, and she devoutly acquiesced in the divine word, 
with a degree of faith, which shewed she was the true 
daughter of Abraham, " who believed even against hope. 1 * 

Shortly after this she hastened on a visit to her cousin Eli- 
zabeth at Hebron, though at a distance of about forty 
leagues. On entering the house of Zacharias, the " babe 
that was in the womb of Elizabeth leaped for joy," and the 
mother being instantly inspired, returned the virgin's saluta*- 

tion in the same words which the angel had uttered : 

" Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of 
thy womb. And whence is this to me that the mother of 
my Lord should come to me : for lo. as soon as the voice of 
thy salutation sounded in mine ears, the babe leaped in my 
womb for jov. And blessed is she that believed, for there 
shall be a performance of those things which were told her 
from the Lord." 

The holy effusion was caught by the blessed virgin, who 
expressed her joy and gratitude in that sublime hymn which 
the Christian church has from the earliest times made use of 
in her sacred offices. 

After abiding with Elizabeth three months, Mary return- 

• Luke i. .31—3$. 



JESUS CHRIST. 3# 

ed home to Nazareth, where Joseph, to whom she had been 
betrothed, began to make preparations lor their nuptial-.— 
But while he was thus engaged, it appeared that his in- 
tended bride was already with child. The circumstance 
greatly affected the good man, tor the Jewish law was 
extremely severe upon women who should be found in 
that condition, whether they were actually espoused or only 
betrothed. But Joseph v\ as a righteous man, and not being 
willing to make a public example of Mary, he formed the 
resolution of putting her away privately, as if she never nad 
been bethrothed to him. There was much generosity and 
tenderness in this design, and, believing as he must, that she 
had been guilty of a gross violation of faith and decency, it 
manifests in Joseph great goodness of heart. But he was 
not suffered to remain under the delusion of appearauees. 
The same night, after he had been revolving this misfortune 
in his mind, and had brought himself to this prudent deter- 
mination, the u angel ot the Lord appeared to him in a 
dream," and warned him against pursuing the measure he 
had devised, for that his wife's conception was the immediate 
operation ot the Holy Ghost, and that she should bring iorvh 
a son, whom " he should call Jesus, because he wouiu save 
his people from their sins."* 

The good man yielded to the divine monition, and " took 
unto him his wife as the angel ot the Lord had bidden him, 
but knew her not till she had brought forth her first-born 
son." 

By a very striking prophecy, the birth place of the Messi- 
ah was accurately determined to be at Bethlehem in Judea. 
Divine Providence accomplishes its purposes and predic- 
tion!- in ways very remote trom what human wisdom and po- 
licy would consider as the most natural. Joseph and Mary 
resided at a considerable distance from Bethlehem, but a cir- 
cumstance occurred which compelled them to go thither 
when she was far advanced in her pregnancy. The Empe- 
ror's treasury having been greatly exhausted, he issued a de- 
cree that all his subjects, including the inhabitants of the 
conquered countries as well as Romans, should be register- 
ed or enrolled in order to be taxed. This edict rendered it 
necessary thac Joseph and Mary should repair to Bethlehem, 
as being both ot the house and lineage of David, to be re- 

• Matt. i. 21. 



356 SCRIPTURE BIOGRAPHY. 

gistered in the mother-city of their tribe, which was that of 
J udah. 

Here the Saviour of the world was born, but not in those 
splendid circumstances and attended with that pomp and 
g anueur, which the Jews, from a misconception ot the pio- 
piietic phrases, considered as necessary to distinguish the de- 
liverer of their nation. He was to be engaged in a spiritual 
redemption, and as pride had been the ruin of mankind, 
therefore humiiiiy must be their restoration. Bethlehem at 
this time was crowded with persons who came thither, in 
consequence of the imperial mandate, and the inn was so. 
full that no room could oe found for Joseph and Mary. — 
How fluciuating is all worldly glory, and vv hat reason nave 
men to be proud of an illustrious lineage, when they con- 
template these pious persons, of the royal house ol Juuah, 
sojourning in a stable ! There did the holy virgin give birth 
to tne long promised and much-expected Messiah, 4i the 
Prince of Peace, and the Xing of 
Righteousness." December 25, anno mun- 

The world at large was immers- di 4U00, but according to 
ed in business, superstition, or the vulgar cera 4004. 
foiiy, when this wonderful event 

took place, and even the inhabitants of Bethlehem had no con- 
cern about the obscure strangers that w r ere with them. But 
on tnat night it pleased the Almighty to reveal the glad intel- 
ligence to some poor shepherds who were keeping watch 
over their flocks in the same fields where David tormerly 
attended his sheep, and, under the influence of inspiration, 
sung the praises of his Redeemer. 

While these pious shepherds were, perhaps, employed in 
a way someu hat similar to this, or at least in a religious and 
improving conversation, of which " the salvation ot Israel" 
made no inconsiderable part, a choir of angels appeared and 
declared to them the " good tidings of great joy, that a 
Saviour was born in the city of David, who was Christ the 
Lord."* After giving them a sign by which they should 
find him, th-_ angels joined together in singing fc * Glory to 
God in the Highest, on earth peace, good-will towards men." 

When these heavenly messengers had proclaimed the re- 
storation ot peace between heaven and earth, they ascended 
to :he real . s ot glory, leaving the shepherds in amazement 
ana joy. With all haste they left their flocks, and ran into 

•LukeU. 1Q. &c. 



JESUS CHRIST. 357* 

the city, where, as they had been directed, they u found 
Mary and Joseph and the babe lying in a manger." "What* 
avails the miormation of a Saviour it" we do not seek ior 
him, and to what end does heaven reveal the way of mercy 
to us it we do not leave all to embrace it ? These shepherds 
no sooner heard " the glad tidings" communicated by the 
44 heavenly host," than they quitted their flocks, over which 
the) watched with so much care, and hastened into Bethle- 
hem to worship the new-born King. In them we may per- 
ceive an example of imitation. Industry in our honest vo- 
cations is acceptable in the sight of God, and ensures his 
blessing ; but there is a concern of still higher magnitude 
than this, and when the u glad tidings of salvation" through 
a mediator are revealed to us, no plea of excuse tor not at- 
tending to the call can be admitted. Yet how many will on 
slight pretences neglect the holy services of the Sanctuary, 
where the Redeemer is set forth in his incarnation, sufferings 
and death, and prefer some trifling worldly advantage or 
frivolous amusement, to those things which concern their 
everlasting happiness k These pious shepiierds, when they* 
had found the Saviour, gladly related all the particulars of 
the vision which they had been favoured, and the trium- 
phant song ol the angels. Their relation occasioned won- 
der in all who heard u these things," but it is doubtiul 
whether it produced any other sensation. Many will feel 
astonishment at the marvellous condescension and grace of 
the Redeemer, and be greatly affected when they read or 
hear the wonders which he hath wrought out for our salva- 
tion ; but their religion goes no farther than this, and they 
have none of that lively gratitude which animated the shep- 
herds of Bethlehem. Full of gladnesss at what they had 
discovered, these poor men were eager to tell the important 
news to every one they met ; their hearts overflowed with 
joy that " God had visited his people," and they wanted all 
men to share with them in the blessing. Such will be the 
conduct of all who have a due apprehension of the truths 
contained in the gospel, and a proper affection for their fel- 
low-creatures. They will not be content with receiving and 
rejoicing themselves in the glad tidings of pardon and peace, 
conveyed through a mediator, but it will be their study and 
effort to make others partakers of the same. 

Every Christian disciple will be solicitous to direct and in- 
vite others to his master, and it will be his delight to 



&5$ SCRIPTURE BIOGRAPHY. 

speak of all the wonderful things which he hath done. The 
conduct and language ot the psalmist will be his, " O mag- 
nify the Lord with me, and let us exait his name toge- 
ther."* 

Our Lord being come to fulfil all righteousness submitted 
to the ordinance oi circumcision, when the name ot J±.sus 
was given to him, according to the word of the angel. Tnat 
ol^ Christ, which is added to it, is a nane of office, and 
signifies anointed,, being equivalent to Messiah. The one 
implies his essential deity, and is precisely nothing less than 
God the Saviour ; the other relates to his consecration by the 
holy spirit, as the prophet, priest, and king, of his redeem- 
ed church ; for all who bure those offices in ancient times, 
were consecrated thereto with holy oil. 

The very names, therefore, of our Saviour, express the 
divinity of his nature, " as God over all blessed for ever ;" 
and the reason of his humiliation, namely, that he might 
save his people from their sins, by being their head or repre- 
sentative. 

At the appointed time the parents of our Lord repaired to 
Jerusalem to present the child in the temple, and to offer a 
sacrifice as the law prescribed, c ' a pair of turtle doves or 
two young pigeons." On this occasion, a just and devout 
man, named Simeon, who had a waited for the consolation 
of Israel," being guided by the influence of the spirk, enter- 
ed the temple, and taking the holy child in his arms, he bles- - 
sed God in that beautiful song of thanksgiving, which the 
church now makes use of, under the title of Nunc Dimittis, 
" Lord," says the aged saint " now lettest thou thy servant 
depart in peace according to thy word, for mine eyes have 
seen thy salvation." One Anna, a prophetess, also, at the 
same time, " gave thanks unto the Lord, and spoke of him 
to all them that looked for redemption in Jerusalem." But 
the nativity of the Messiah was not communicated to pious 
Israelites only, for though he was manifested in the first in- 
stance to them as the heirs of the promise made to Abraham, 
yet as he was also to be alight of the Gentiles, and the v * re- 
storer of the ends of the earth ;" notice of this great event 
was given to certain "wise men of A the east," who, probably, 
had been waiting also in faith for the day of redemption. 
It was expresslv predicted by Isaiah respecting the ascension 
of the son of righteousness upon the church, that the Gen- 

* Psalm xxsiy. 3, 



JESlTS CHRIST. 35ft 

tiles should come to his light, and kings to the " brightness 
of his rising. 1 '* 

Tne e wise men came to Jerusa^m soon after the birth of 
the Messiah, and immediately began to enquire where they 
might find the M new-born king of the Jews," declaring 
that they had " seen his star in the east, and were come to 
worship him."! Herod, commonly called the Great, who 
then possessed the throne, was a usurper, and therefore this 
intelligence gave him considerable uneasiness. The idea 
-which the Jews, for the most part, entertained respecting 
the Messiah, was that he should be a mighty temporal 
prince, by whom their independence would be regained, 
and the glory of their nation carried to the highest pitch. — 
It is not to be wondered then that Herod on this occasion 
was greatly troubled. He instantly called the " chief 
priests and scribes of the people together, and demanded of 
them where Christ should be born." Being informed that 
prophecy had expressly named Bethlehem as the favoured 
place,}: Herod Called the wise men, and having learnt from 
them what time the star appeared, that he might better be 
enabled to ascertain the age of the child, he sent them private- 
ly to Bethlehem, charging them that when they had found 
the object of their enquiry, to bring him word, u that he 
might go and worship him also." The crafty tyrant took 
these politic measures, that he might impose both upon these 
pious strangers and upon his own subjects, apprehending 
that if the birth of the Messiah were publicly known, it might 
lead to a revolt. The, wise men being thus dismissed took 
the road to Bethlehem, and were greatly rejoiced to see the 
star guiding their course. 

Thus directed they came to the house where the child 
was, and when they saw him they fell down before him and 
worshipped, presenting unto him various oblations, consist- 
ing of " gold, frankincense, and myrrh ;" thus fulfil ing 
another remarkable prophecy : " All they from SSeba shall 
come ; they shall bring gold and incense ; and they shall 
shew forth the praises of the Lord.§ 

This circumstance not only completed some remarkable 
prophecies concerning the Messiah, but it had the advantage 
of providing Joseph and Mary with the means of support- 
ing themselves and child during their exile in Egvpt ; yhith* 

• Isaiah ix. 3. f Matt, ii 2. $ Micah v. 2. 

§ Isaiah Lx. 6, compared with Psalm lxxii. 10. 



36© SCRIPTURE BIOGRAPHY. 

er by a direction of an angel, they fled with all haste, to avoid 
the sanguinary intention of Herod. That monster, when he 
found that he had been '* mocked by the wise men," who, in 
compliance with the warning of the same angel, had depart- 
ed to their own country, without calling at Jerusalem, was 
provoked beyond measure, and sent his soldiers to slay all 
the infants in Bethlrhem and its neighbourhood, of "two 
years old and younger." 

But the holy Jesus, though so early the object of persecu- 
tion, was secure in Egypt, where several of the most eminent 
saints who typified him had also found an asylum. 

On the death of Herod, the angel of the Lord again ap- 
peared to Joseph, and directed him to return into his own 
country ; but when the good man found that Arehelaus 
reigned instead of his father, he was afraid to settle in Judea, 
and therefore fixed his abode at Nazareth. 

" And the child grew and waxed strong in or by the 
spirit, filled with wisdom ; and the grace of God was upon 
him."* In respect to his deity he was possessed of infinite 
perfection, and could not receive any additional grace ; but 
we are to consider that as he had now assumed human nature, 
that he might be in all things like unto us, therefore he grew 
in stature, and his natural faculties were gradually strength* 
ened by the divine spirit. It was necessary to the design of 
redemption, that he who bore the office of Mediator or 
representative, should in every circumstance and relation of 
life, except that culpable point for which he was to make 
atonement, be like unto the creatures whose nature he had 
assumed, and for whose salvation he stood engaged. — 
Had the deity been predominant and conspicuous, it would 
have destroyed the very intention and obligation of his of- 
fice as Redeemer, which called for the extremity of degra- 
dation as well as of suffering. The Son of God, therefore, 
though possessed of infinite wisdom, power, and perfection, 
was made a little child, grew onwards to youth, and pas- 
sed through all the gradations of human life, that he 
might be not an exemplar of holiness merely, but that he 
might fully discharge every part of his office as our surety 
and representative. 

Under the influence of the Holy Spirit, the humanity of 
Christ encreased in holiness and wisdom, and that in a 
degree whkh to ordinary spectators, must have appeared 

*Lukeii. 40. 



JESUS CHRIST. 861 

Astonishing. At the age of twelve years he accompanied his 
parents to Jerusalem, at the feast of the passover. When the 
accustomed days were fulfilled and they were returning, the 
child Jesus tarried behind in Jerusalem, and Joseph and 
Mary proceeded a day'sjourney before they missed him.— 
Then in much anxiety they went back to Jerusalem, and 
on the third day afte- their departure they found him in the 
temple, sitting in the midst oi the doctors, both hearing them 
and asking them questions, to the great astonishment of all 
that heard and observed the quickness of his understanding, 
and the wisdom of his answers. When his mother gently 
remonstrated with him for occasioning them so much unea- 
siness by his absence, his answer was mysterious ; u how is 
it that ye sought me ? Wist ye not that I must be about my 
father's business ?"* Mary knew that no business of her 
husband couM have detained him, and therefore she treasured 
up this incident in her heart as a subject of holy medi- 
tation. This is the onlv particular recorded of the juvenile 
conduct of our Saviour ; and is it not one full of in- 
struction ? It manifests, in the first instance, his love for the 
courts of the Lord's house, and in the second a holy zeal for 
his father's glory. Happy will it be for young persons, if 
they study this divine example, and instead of associating 
with the idle, the licentious, and the profane, seek the path 
of religion, keep close to the house and worship of God, 
learn instruction from the wise and good, and cultivate the 
knowlege which they acquire by private meditation and fer- 
vent prayer. 

The blessed Jesus went down with his parents to Naza- 
reth, and was " subject unto them," for though he was 
their Lord, yet he became " obedient in all things," and 
was content to live in a state of poverty, working as a car- 
penter, which was the occupation of his reputed father. 
In this low and obscure condition, he continued till the 
thirtieth year of his age; for so long doubtless was it expe- 
dient that he should lead a private life and pay an exact obe- 
dience to the law of God. 

This was the age at which the Jewish priests entered 
upon the ministerial office, and John was of the same when 
he came from the wilderness and commenced his public la- 
bours Though this does not bind the Christian Church 
tothssame practice, because the old has given way to a 

- Luke ii. 49. 
2 2 



$m SCRIPTURE BIOGRAPHY, 

new dispensation, and we know that some of the apostles, 
and others in the New Testament, were much younger than 
this when they were commissioned, yet it certainly does 
strongly reprobate the conduct of those who run before they 
are sent, and engage precipitately in the ministerial work 
without due preparation. 

At this age did Jesus break forth from his obscurity, and 
proceed to Jordan, where John his forerunner was baptizing, 
** to be baptized of him."* Thus did he pass through 
every stage, and obey every divine institution;, nor would 
he, though the Lord of glory, enter upon the public ministry 
without submitting to the rite ol baptism, and being so- 
lemnly inaugurated to his high office. Ke needed not 
baptism " to wash away his sins, for he knew no sin," but 
he sanctified the institution, that it might be a perpetual 
ordinance in his church. John was surprised that the 
master should require baptism of the servant, and therefore, 
he humbly declined administering it to him, saying, " 1 
have need to be baptized of thee, and comest thou to me V* 
John's scruples arose from a sense of his inferiority to Jesus^ 
v whose shoes' latchet," as he observed,, u he was not 
worthy to unloose."! But he submitted immediately on 
receiving this gentle command from the Redeemer,* " suffer 
it to be so now, for thus it behoveth us to fulfil all righte- 
ousness." When Jesus ascended from the water, w the 
heavens opened unto him, and the spirit of God descended 
in a bodily shape like a dove, and lighted upon him ; and 
lo ! there came a voice from heaven, saying, " Thou art 
my beloved son, in whom I am well pleased "t Here we 
have all the three persoas in the blessed Trinity t the Father 
giving testimony to the divinity of his Son, by an audible 
voice from heaven, without any visible appearance : the 
Son on the earth under the veil of humanity ; and the Holy 
Ghost in the air descending on him in a glorious body of light, 
and with a tremulous motion like that of a dove. Christ, 
therefore, was consecrated to his ministerial office by bap- 
tism and the unction of the Holy Ghost, as the Jewish 
priests were by washing and anointing. Being thus entered 
upon his great work, which was also a state of warfare 
against the great enemy of God and man ; " he was led up 
of the spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil."^ 

In this dismal place he continued forty days and forty 

* Matt. iii. 13. f John i. 27. * Matt. iii. 16*1? . §Th.iv: 



JESUS CHRIST. 

nights without food, aud the human nature being nearly 
exhausted, he was tempted to distrust Providence, by com- 
manding the stones to be made bread. But the artifice 
of Satan tailed, tor though the divine power that was in 
Jesus could have provided food in the wilderness, yet he 
as nan submitted to the ordinary course of Providence, 
that his obedience might be perfect. Then the devil convey- 
ed him into the holy city, and having set him upon a pinnacle 
of the temple, urged him to prove himself the Son of God, 
by casting himself down, quoting at the same time a 
remarkable text in the Psalms, which asserted that he 
should be safe in so doing ; but here again the tempter was 
foiled by Jesus, who alleged another text, which " thou shalt 
not tempt the Lord thy God." From hence he was borne 
away to the top of an exceeding high mountain, where Sa- 
tan " shewed him all the kingdoms of the world and the glo- 
ry of them," adding, with a most impudent effrontery, that 
he would give the whole world to Jesus if he would fall down 
and worship him To this base offer the adversary received 
this indignant reply, vfc Get thee behind me Satan ; for it is 
written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only 
shalt thou serve." This completed the conquest, for the 
devil being baffled at every point, and having nothing more 
to propose, gave up the contest, and fled. Thus was our Lord 
"tempted in all points, as we are yet without sin,"^ that we 
might be encouraged by his example to resist the devil, and 
to take as he did for our weapon, tk the sword of the spirit 
which is the word of God."f 

Having gained this great victory, the angels of God, who 
had doubtless been anxious spectators of the conflict, came 
with joy and ministered unto him. 

This trial being past, Jesus entered upon his public la- 
bours, by gathering a few disciples ; the first of whom were 
Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, and John the Evangelist. 
They had been both disciples of the Baptist, by whose testi- 
mony they were led to follow Jesus. The former of these, 
on meeting with his brother, informed him " that they had 
found the Messiah,:): which induced Peter also to make one 
of their number. Their report brought others to Jesus, but 
all these disciples were taken from the meanest occupations, 
and the greater part of them were fishermen. Thus did di- 
vine wisdom pass by the great and the learned, the rich and 

• Heb. iv. 15. f Epfi. vi. 17. ± John i. 41, 



S64 SCRIPTURE BIOGRAPHY. 

the v>owerful, that this great work might clearly appear not t® 
be the efFct of human skill, contrivance, and policy, out the 
immediate operation of God. 

These feeble instruments were chosen to confound the 
wise, and to break down, through the mighty influence of 
the Holv Spirit, the stupendous fabric of pagan superstition. 
Of such en was the Christian church, first composed, and 
such were its original preachers who had to oppose ail the 
learning and sophistry, not only of their countrymen, but of 
Greece and Rome, and that at a period when human wisdom 
and eloquence were generally cultivated. Called by God, 
and inspired by his grace, they went forth, and the powers of 
darkness fell before them. What evidence can be stronger 
than this in behalf of the divine origin of the Christian reli- 
gion, and the essential deity of its founder ? When we see 
Jesus a poor obscure person, on the banks of the Jordan, ac- 
co ipanied by two or three fishermen, as mean in appear- 
ance as himself, and then transport our minds into a succeed- 
ing period, an<l contemplate the system of ages overcome by 
the sublime doctrine of the same Jesus, through the mere 
preaching of his unlearned followers, what must be the con- 
clusion of a candid mind, but that this was the work of God ? 

Jesus made use of no sohcita ions, no promises to win 
th se men over to his cause, though if he had, it would be 
difficult to account for his making such a choice in prefer: nee 
to vtie wealthy and ambitious Jews. The first disciples tol- 
lo'vedhim of their own notion, prompted merely by the 
hig i account of him, which they had heard from their for- 
mer master, John the Baptist. i3y their report others were 
led to follow him ; and the holiness of hu life, the excel- 
lence of his doctrine, and the wonders which they witnessed, 
rivetted their attachment. It is clear, indeed, that they were 
iK>tfr£e from the carnal prejudices entertained by the rest of 
the Jews, respecting the nature of tne Messiah's kingdom, 
and it was not till after his resurrection tnat they obtained 
more spiritual notions. 

Bat Jesu*> himself always corrected these corrupt ideas 
wheuever they were expressed ; and though his disciples were 
si w to believe and were dull of apprehension, yet all his dis- 
courses were calculated to convince them that tk his kingdom 
so tar from being oi this world," was diametrically opposed 
totemport .randeur, fashion, and riches. 

In his choice, therefore, of disciples, and in their uniform 



JESUS CHRIST. 365 

Attachment to him, we must perceive an absolute disinter- 
estedness, wholly exempt from worldly craft or designing 
collusion. 

With these poor followers, (and those who afterwards 
joined him were not more respectable in the world's esteem) 
did je^us enter upon the sphere of his public ministration, 
and oegin to preach the Gospel, or the fc * glad tidings of sal- 
vation." it is true he was armed with a divine power, and 
wrought numerous miracles to enforce his doctrine and to 
confir a his authority, but these supernatural wonders were 
not such as tended to dazzle men's minds with a notion that 
he wanted to set up a temporal dominion, or to deliver Ju- 
dea from the Roman yoke. All his miracles were acts of 
kiiidness and benevolence to poor and afflicted objects, or to 
shew his power as the Son of God. 

A striking difference distinguished the miracles of Jesus 
from tnose which had been wrought by holy men of old, as 
well as those which were performed by his own disciples. 
The propnets and apostles professedly acted by a commission 
fiom God; and the latter always performed their miracles in 
the name of Jesus Christ. But our blessed Lord in healing 
the sick, expelling daemons, restoring sight to tiie blind, or 
raising, the dead, invariably acted by virtue of his own 
power and authority. 

The beginning or his miracles was at Cana, in Galilee, 
where at a marriage feast he turned water into wine, not to 
encourage licentiousness as those infidels pretend, who 
would themselves apologize for intemperance in one of their 
own tribe, but to sanctify a holy institution and to encourage 
hospitality. 

From nence he went up to Jerusalem to the passover, 
tvhere, on finding the temple proianed by persons who car- 
ried on traffic therein, his zeal was kindled, and he drove 
them out witn a scourge, saying, " take these things hence ; 
make not my father's house a house of merchandize * 

One of the Fathersf with much ingenuity considers this 
action of our Lord's as one of the greatest in his whole life, 
and it must be allowed very extraordinary that a person so 
obscure, without any authority from the Sanhedrim, should 
take upon him to reform this abuse, and that so many per- 
sons, instejd of resisting him, should fly from his presence 
in terror, leaving their wares behind them. But in thus as- 

* John ii. 16. f St. Jeromes- 






36fr SCRIPTURE BIOGRAPHY. 

serting the honour of God, and rescuing his holy temple 
from profanation, Jesus put forth his divine power against 
which all human strength was ineffectual. His disciples, 
who beheld the act, were themselves astonished, but they 
soon remembered that it was no more than a fulfilment of 
this divine prediction, " the zeal of thine house hath eaten 
me up ."* Thus are we taught at once to apply the psalms, 
not merely to the circumstances of David, or to ancient Is- 
rael, but to those of Christ and his church. 

This transaction, as well as his other miracles, must have 
occasioned no small observation among the inhabitants of 
Jerusalem, particularly in those who filled stations of public 
authority. They noticed the fame of this extraordinary 
reformer indeed, but not with any desire to profit by his doc- 
trine. The " Rulers and the Pharisees" would not believe 
that any a good could come out of Nazareth," or that he 
was entitled to respect who condescended to instruct and to 
srelieve the poor, and who pronounced the sharpest censures 
upon their pride, bigotry, and hypocrisy. The great body 
of these men were the bitter enemies of our Lord, because he 
exposed their corrupt system of self-righteousness. But 
there was one among them who possessed a more ingenuous 
mind, and was not willing to condemn either the person or 
the doctrine of Jesus without enquiry. This was Nicode- 
mus, a member of the great Sanhedrim, and a man of con- 
siderable note and influence among the Pharisees. The fame 
of Jesus made a deep impression upon him, and he was de- 
sirous of hearing from his own lips those principles which, 
though some might applaud, the greater part agreed to con- 
demn. Not willing, however, to expose himself to the re* 
sentment of his brethren, and afraid of incurring any de- 
gree of contempt by stooping so low as to confer with the 
son of a mechanic, Nicodemus made this visit under the con- 
venient shade of the night. It is plain that fear prevailed in 
the mind of this eminent ruler, and led him to adopt the 
dark and silent hour for this conference. But Jesus, who 
saw that amidst this weakness the mind of the man was up- 
right, and that sincerity actuated him to seek his lowly dwel- 
ling, gave him a courteous reception, and readily, though 
seemingly in an abrupt manner, entered upon the important 
doctrine of regeneration. Nicodemus was astonished when 
our Lord declared that, " execept a man be bora again he 

*Fs. hdx. 10. Johniii. 16, 



JESUS CHRIST. 567 

cannot see the kindom of God."* Though " a master in Is* 
rael," or one who held the important office of teaching 
others, he was ignorant of this fundamental principle of re- 
ligion, that the heart and affections of a man must be chang- 
ed, or renewed, bctore he can be qualified for a stare of ho- 
liness. The doctrine taught by Jesus Christ was not in it- 
self new, for it was that which tae prophets had often incul- 
cated, and which the ceremonies of the Mosaic ritual plainly 
expressed But the Pharisees naving substituted out* a: d 
observances, and a morai righteousness lor that " whicn is 
of God by faith," as sufficient for justification, it was neces- 
sary to destroy the fatal delusion by urging the indi*p< nsible 
necessity of a renovation of heart. 

Our Saviour having explained this great truth to Nicode- 
mus, proceeded to declare his divinity and the intent of his 
mission, observing that the " serpent which Moses lifted up 
in the wilderness" typified the death of the Messiah, and the 
benefits which should result from it to those who truly be- 
lieve in him. 

After this remarkable conference, which certainly made a 
convert of Nicodemus, Jesus went into other parts of Ju- 
dea, accompanied by his disciples where they baptized. 
From thence he proceeded to Galilee, and on the way stopped 
by the side of a well near Sychar, a city of Samaria ; and 
being much fatigued with the journey he sent his disciples in- 
to the city to purchase provisions. Thus he who was the 
bread of life suffered in this state of humilation, hunger and 
thirst, pain and weariness. While he sat by the side of the 
well, a Samaritan woman came thither to draw water ; and 
Jesus asked her for some to quench his thirst. There was a 
rooted enmity between the Jews and the Samaritans, inso- 
much that they would not deal with one another. The wo- 
man could not but express her surprize that Jesus, whose 
dress indicated his country, should ask water of her who was 
one of Samaria. Our Lord, full of grace and condescen- 
sion, replied, " if thou knew est the gift of God, and who it 
is that saith to thee, give me to drink t thou wouldest have 
asked of him and he would have given thee living water . ? "f 
Thus did he apply natural objects that lay immediately be- 
fore him, to intoduce the nature, and to illustrate the excel- 
lence of spiritual blessings. 

Wh«n our Lord further declared the inestimable yalue of 

* J»kn iit, 3, f Ib ? ir, XQ, 



368 SCRIPTURE BIOGRAPHY. 

this water, meaning thereby the sanctifying gifts and graced 
of the Holy Gho^t, and of which, whosoever u drinketh, 
shall never thirst," the poor woman expressed her desire of 
having some, bat was still ignorant of the spiritual significa- 
tion of the metaphor. To convince her of his omniscience, 
and to awaken in her mind a sense of her sinfulness, Jesus 
told her to u fetch her husband," and when she confessed 
that she had none, he replied, " thou hast said truly, for thou 
hast had five husbands ; and he, with whom thou now livest, 
is not thine husband." The woman, no longer doubting 
that this was a prophet, put a question to him, which was 
much agitated between the Jews and Samaritans, about the 
proper place were men ought to worship, Jerusalem or Ger- 
iz*n e Though our Lord gave the preference to Jerusalem, 
yet he told her that the time was now approaching when all 
the ceremonial observances of both places should cease, and 
give way to a purer service, u for God is a spirit, and they 
that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth." 

The conversation at last turned upon the Messiah, who was 
not more the expectation of the Jews than of the Samaritans ; 
and the woman having expressed her belief that when he 
should come he would instruct them in all things, Jesus re- 
plied at once. lv I that speak unto thee am He." 

On hearing this she left her water-pot and hastened into 
the city to communicate the wonderful tidings, and soon af- 
ter she was gone the disciples came, bringing provisions, of 
which thev urged their Master to partake, but he being in- 
tent upon his great errand, answered, that he had meat to 
eat which thev knew not of. While they were wondering at 
his expressions the Samaritans were flocking from the city, be- 
ing attracted by the declaration of the woman, " come, see a 
man which told me all that ever I did." 

At the earnest request of the Samaritans he abode with 
them two days, and many of them became sincere converts, 
*' saving unto the woman, now we believe, not because of 
thy saying, for we have heard him ourselves, and know that 
this is indeed the Christ the Saviour of the world." 

Though we may give our assent to the testimony which 
others bear to the divine authority of Christ ; though we 
may credit all that has been recorded of hi n, and even al- 
low that he is the Messiah, yet nothing short of faith in him, 
and a vital communion with hiai, as our Saviour, will avalj 
to our justification. 



JESUS CHRIST. 36<) 

Like the glorious luminary, to whom he has been fitly- 
compared, Jesus was indefatigable in his course of righte- 
ousness and benevolence. He went constantly about doing 
good, in healing the natural and moral maladies of mankind. 
From Samaria where the spiritual harvest had been abun- 
dant, he proceeded into Galilee, in most parts of w T hich 
country he performed astonishing miracles, and gained many 
converts. But in his own city of Nazareth ne was treated 
with contempt as the " son of Joseph the carpenter ;"* so 
truly was that proverb verified, that u a prophet is not with- 
out honour except in his own country."! Having sharply 
but justlv reproved the bigoted Nazarenes for their blindness 
and obstinacy, they proceeded to the most violent outrage 
against his person, hurrying him to the brow of a precipice 
with an intent of hurling him down headlong. But his time 
was not yet come ; and, therefore, disarming the infatuated 
wretches of power, he miraculously " passed through the 
midst of them and went his way." 

He appears to have resided longer at Capernaum than at 
any other place. This city lay upon the coast of the sea of 
Tiberias, on the borders of Zabulon and Napthali, and thus 
was fulfilled that striking prediction of the prophet Isaiah : 
" The people which sat in darkness saw a great light ; and to 
them which sat in the region and shadow of death, light is 
sprung up." j: In Galilee his greatest works were performed ; 
here he collected the principal number, if not the whole of 
his apostles, and in that country his labours were crowned 
with most success. 

Yet he constantly attended the great feasts at Jerusalem, 
on which occasions he usually proclaimed himself more di- 
rectly as* the Messiah, appealing for the proof that he was so 
to the works which he performed. But so infatuated were 
the Jewish people with the expectation of a temporal prince, 
possessed of worldly glory and power, that they resisted 
even this evidence, and though they beheld devils subject to 
him, the most obstinate diseases flying at his word, and even, 
death robbed of its prey at his command, they could not re- 
ceive him. He was followed indeed by immense crowds, 
who were eager to hear the doctrines which he preached, to 
see the miracles which he wrought, and to partake of those 
blessings which he so freely bestowed, yet the number of his 
real disciples was but small. Few attached themselves sin r 

•Matt. xiii. 55. fib. v. 57. j Jsaialj jx. 1, S. 

3 A 



'&& SCRIPTURE BIOGRAPHY. 

cerely to him in a firm persuasion that he was the Son of" 
God, and of those few scarcely any were above the common 
station of life. 

By the two great sects, into which the Jewish people were 
split, the Pharisees and the Sadducees, he was violently op- 
posed. The former affected an uncommon reverence for the 
sacred writings and the law of Moses, but they added there- 
to an equal if not a greater regard for certain traditions which 
encumbered religion with observances unwarranted by the 
word of God. To these they adhered with a scrupulous ex- 
actness, while they neglected kk the weighty matters of the 
law, judgment, mercy, and faith."* Upon these men our 
Ldrd was very severe, and he warned the people, and parti- 
cularly his own disciples against their corruptions in the 
strongest terms. The Sidducees were more ancient than 
the Pharisees > and derived their name either from Sedec y 
which signifies Justice, or from a certain Jewish teacher cal- 
led Sadoc. They were distinguished by holding the Penta- 
teuch, or the writings of Moses,, in preference to all the other 
Scriptures, and because in those books there are but very ob- 
scure intimations of a future state, and the appearance of 
angels is always described as being under a human form, 
therefore they rejected the doctrine of the resurrection and 
denied the existence of spirits. Whatever might be the 
character of the first Sadducees, it is certain that those in 
our Saviour's time were Epicureans in principle, and licen=t 
tious in practice. Though these two sects bore the most ma- 
lignant hatred against each other, they united in persecuting 
Jesus Christ as their common enemy. His doctrine was to- 
tally opposite to the wretched dogmas of the Pharisees, 
which placed all righteousness in frivolous rites and ceremo- 
nies ; and to the sceptical principles of the Sadducees, which 
by tending to destroy all hope or fear of a future state, en- 
couraged immorality and atheism. 

In opposition to the Pharisees, our Lord preached the ne- 
cessity of repentance, and an inward conformity to the law 
of God, but not to the neglect of those outward observan- 
ces which were of perpetual obligation. He asserted that 
to become heirs of the kingdom of God, men must become as 
u little children," that is, they must renounce all • their pre- 
conceived notions of moral worth, and submit their wills and 
understandings to be guided by the spirit of truth. It wa& 

* Matt, xxiii. 2S. 



JESUS CHRIST. 371 

his constant theme that the broken and the contrite heart 
alone was acceptable in the sight of God, and that those who 
trusted in their own righteousness, or in a fancied notion 
that they were able to perioral such an exact course of 
obedience as the divine law required, were * l iar," or at the 
most remote distance from the kingdom of God. He taught 
this great truth that all men were shiners, and consequently 
that none couid be justified or exalted to the divine favour, 
but those who were humbled or abased in their own estima- 
tion. Persons who felt their lost condition and were heavy 
laden, or oppressed u ith a sense of tneir sins, he encouraged 
and invited to come to him with a promise of pardon, peace, 
and eternal lite. It Happened 'that many of those who were 
pricked to the heart by his discourses, and came to him as 
the only physician that could pour balm into their souls, 
were peculiarly odious to the proud and assuming Phari- 
sees* Most of these were publicans, or tax-gatherers and 
harlots. On these outcasts his preaching was abundant- 
ly successful ; nordidhetver reproach any of them when 
they came to him— though on the precise and superstitious. 
Pharisees he deuounced the heaviest judgments. For this 
conduct he was greatl) vilified, and it was taken as an oc- 
casion to prejudice the people against him, that u he did eat 
with publicans and sinners."^ But this was his glory. 
Herein did he exactly fulfil the most essential part of his 
great errand into our world, which was u to seek and to save 
those who were lost."f His own life however was unspot- 
ted ; and though he never refused any invitation when it 
was made to him, yet in his deportment he was always 
correct, so that the prying and designing eyes of the Phari- 
sees nevur could frame any other accusation against him, 
than u that he was a friend to publicans and sinners,"]:, 
and that " he performed works of mercy on the Sabbath- 
day."$ 

The Pharisees were rigid enough in observing ceremonies, 
in keeping at a distance irom their fellow-sinners, whom 
they did not think wortny of exhortation, and in paying an 
outward respect to the Sabbath. But charity made no part 
of their creed, and therefore no liberality could be expected 
in their practice. Our Lord taught that works of righte- 
ousness are more than burnt-sacrifices, and that the exercise 
of benevolenc is infinitely more acceptable in the sight of 

* Matt. ix. IX, f Luke six. 10. 4 tuke vijL 34, § John r. §. 



272 SCRIPTURE BIOGRAPHY. 

God, than ceremonies by which no man is profited. This 
rendered hitn and his doctrine odious to these bigoted and 
proad sectaries. But there was another particular in his 
preaching which gave them great offence, and increased their 
resentment against him. 

Tne ancient ptopnets in their descriptions of the Messiah 
had expr. ssly declared, that he 4 - should gather all nations ;"* 
that " he should have the heathen for his inheritance, and the 
utmost parts or the earth for his possession ;"f that "the Gen- 
tiles should come to his light, and kings to the brightness of 
his rising ;' *| and that " in him all families of the earth 
should be bx ssed/'J The doctrine and the conduct of our 
Lord corresponded with these predictions ; forthoughhe de- 
clared that he was sent in the first place to the Wk lost sheep of 
the house of Israel," || yet he graciously receivt d and reliev- 
ed strangers, preached in Samaria, healed the S\ ro-pheni- 
cian's child, and inculcated the broad principle of universal 
benevolence, founded upon the infinite extent of his re- 
demption. 

This was diametrically opposite to the notions of all the 
Jews of whatever sect, and even his own disciples, who liv- 
ed in habits ol the greatest intimacy with him, and had not 
only his instructions but his example to teach them better, 
were not brought to embrace and to act upon this great truth 
till after his ascension. Every part of our- Lord's doctrine 
*vas counter to the prevalent principles of his degenerate coun- 
trymen, and this affords, in consequence, an invincible evi- 
dence of the truth of his mission, even though upon this parti- 
cular ancient prophecy had been silent. A designing man 
CDuld have courted lollowers by fl it ering their prejudices, 
or by holding out to them some prospect of temporal advan- 
tages. Jesus Christ, by opposing the corruptions of the 
Jews, and declaring that u in this world his disciples must 
experience tribulation,"^ acted in a manner which every man 
of carnal policy would have condemned as the extreme point 
of madness. Nor were the miracles which he wrought such 
as men of worldly wisdom would have recommended as the 
best calculated to answer the purposes of ambition. He re- 
stored sight to the blind, he healed numerous diseases, ex- 
pelled daemons from the possessed, fed many thousands at 
once by a miraculous multiplication of a few loaves and fish- 

* Isaiah lxvi. 18. f Psalm ii. 8. £ Isaiah. Is. iii. § Gen. xii. 3. 
|| Matt xr. 24. % Johnxvi. 33. 



JESUS CHRIST. 35T3 

ts, stilled at a word the most violent tempest, and raised the 
dead tu life, even after they had been deposited in tne tomb ; 
yet in all these miracles he sought no glory. They were not 
wrought lor the benefit of the great and affluent men ol the 
woiiu, out mostly ioi the poor and obscure. He usually com- 
manded those w horn he healed to be silent in his praise ; and 
when he nad performed a variety oi tnese beneficent actions, 
it was iiis custom to retire privately trom the applauding mul- 
titude to some secret place, where he might indulge himself 
in meditation and prayer. What others eagerly court as the 
highest pitch ot human happiness, popular esteem, he shun- 
ned witn tne most sedulous care and solicitude. This w as 
evident in his conduct when the people who had been mira- 
culously fed by nis bounty were determined to make him a 
kiug by lorce, and to take up arms in his iavour as the Mes- 
sia/i. Jesus no sooner perceived their design than he in- 
stantly sent otf his disciples by sea, that they might not be 
led away by the same spirit ; and when they were gone he 
dismissed the multitudes with authority, after which he 
M went up into the mountain to pray." One who had a wish 
to estabiisn a kingdom in this world would have gladly seiz- 
ed so favourable an opportunity, and there can be little 
doubt, from what we read of the refractory temper oi the 
jewisn nation, that they would readily have flocked to his 
standard it he had chosen to avow himself a temporal prince. 
But his whole course of life, all that he taught, and all that 
he performed, manifested a superiority to the world, and 
an opposition to those things in which misguided men 
place their happiness. His aim was to raise the minds of his 
followers above this siutul and perishable state, to inspire 
them with a noble contempt of corruptible riches, and an 
earnest desire alter those heavenly graces which will endure 
for ever. 

The manner in which our blessed Saviour inculcated his 
doctrine was by parables ; and nothing can be more beauti- 
ful or instructive, more pregnant with important truths, or 
more applicable to the common ideas and concerns of man- 
kind, than these figurative representations. This method of 
instruction is of very great antiquity, and there can be no 
doubt ol its being admirably adapted to excite attention, and 
to produce conviction. It tends to engage attention by 
pleasantness, and to produce conviction by bringing truth 
home to the hearer in a familiar description of some na- 



m 



374 SCRIPTURE BIOGRAPHY, 

tural circumstance, the moral inference of which is dis- 
cerned instantly without the pains of laboured induction. 
It is a method not only well adapted to please the mind, 
by conveying instruction clearly and easily, but also of 
administering correction without giving offence.— ——Many 
of our Lord's parables were designed to reprove the blind* 
ness and obstinacy of the Jewish nation, and the hypocrisy 
and superstition of the Pharisees. A plain and direct dis- 
co arse might only have irritated them the more against 
him, and therefore he couched their guilt and his reproof 
under sume parabolical representation.— This was the 
case with respect to the parable of the fig-tree, in which 
the unfruitful and ungrateful state of the Jews was most 
forcibly described, as well as the judgment which would 
fall upon them. In the parable of the labourers in the 
vineyard, how strikingly does our Lord vindicate the cal- 
ling of the GentiL s, and the unreasonableness of the Jews 
in objecting to so gracious a dispensation ? That of the mar- 
riage supper is a plain representation of the dereliction of 
the Jews through their own impenitence and unbelief, and 
the display of God's love to the Gentiles. 

Other parables have a more general tendency, and may be 
applied to persons of every age and country ; as that of the 
Pharisee and Publican, the wheat and the tares, the ten vir- 
gins, the prodigal son, and (if that be a parable) the awful 
story of Dives and Lazarus. 

It would not only be pleasing but profitable to consider 
these beautiful narratives in order, and to enquire into the 
doctrines which they convey, as well as the practical lessons 
which may be learnt from them. But our limits forbid us 
this pleasure, nor indeed can we enter so minutely into the 
detail of our blessed Redeemer's life as the subject requires. 
For though this public course did not much exceed three 
years, yet that period was filled with circumstances of the 
greatest magnitude, so as to render the history of them in- 
finitely more momentous than that of the world and of all the 
empires which have flourished therein. It ought not, how- 
ever, to pass unnoticed, that the parabolical mode of instruc- 
tion adopted by our Lord, was another circumstance in 
which he fulfilled what had been spoken of him in the Old 
Testament. St. Matthew quotes the passage from the se- 
venty-eight Psalm, in these words : u All these things spake 
Jesus to the multitude in parables, and without a parable 



JESUS CHRIST. srS 

spake he not unto them, that it might be fulfilled which was 
spoken by the prophet, saying, I will open my mouth in pa- 
rables, I will utter things which have been kept secret from 
the foundation of the world."* In this vie vv then the para- 
bles are of still greater importance, as furnishing an additional 
argument for the truth of Christianity, since it was ex- 
pressly foretold that the Messiah should be distinguished by 
the use of them. 

As a " preacher of righteousness," Jesus eminently ex- 
celled all that had preceded him, for his eloquence was divine, 
and he spake " as one having authority, and not as the 
scribes,"! who grounded all they had to advance upon the 
vague traditions of the elders. The discourses of our Savi- 
our were directed to the heart ; they struck at the very root 
of all moral evil, by shewing the aosolute necessity of a re- 
novated mind, which pre supposes that all are by nature cor- 
rupt ; and they pointed out the only way by which that 
change can be effected, that is by divine grace, whieh must 
be sought for in faith and prayer. The people had never 
been used to this kind of instruction. Their blind guides 
had commanded them to receive their dictates without as- 
signing any satisfactory reasons why they were entitled to 
obedience. But the doctrine of our Saviour was whollv con- 
sistent with the word of God, the uncorrupted code of their 
religion, and it had evidently for its great object the present 
and future happiness of mankind. There was nothing per- 
plexed, forbidding, or burthensome in what Jesus taught ; 
but every thing was plain, endearing, and delightful. Well 
therefore might he call " his yoke easy and his burden 
light,":]: for it freed the minds of those who received it from 
the u bondage of the law," from the fear of death, and the 
dread of hell. It opened to their view the most brilliant and 
substantial joys beyond the grave ; it rendered the path of 
duty certain, and settled faith upon a sure foundation ; it had 
in short every thing which could be necessary to render man 
socially useful and personally happy. 

The important principle that the future state is one of re- 
tribution, according to the spiritual condition and conduct of 
men in this probationary world, was little, if at all, under- 
stood, till our Saviour arose and threw the strong light of 
certainty upon the awful subject. He taught not only the 
sours immortality, but the doctrine of a resurrection and of 

• Matt-. jiiL 34, So. f V». Til 29, *Ib, xi. 30, 



376 SCRIPTURE BIOGRAPHY 

final judgment, when all the dead shall appear at the bar of 
God *- to be judged every man according to his works." 

Now, if he had done no more than this ; if he had only con- 
fined his labours 'to the single point of preaching and illus- 
trating these momentous points, we should have had eve- 
ry reason imaginable to cherish his memory with reverence, 
and to glory in being called by his name. But he did far 
more than this. He confirmed these great doctrines by cor- 
responding wonders, which no created being could perform 
in his own power ; he recalled the departed spirit to reanimate 
the clay-cold corpse, and at a word caused the dead body of 
Lazarus to issue from the tomb, where it had lain three 
days. Well might he say on that occasion to the weaping 
sister of the deceased : " I am the resurrection and the life ; 
he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he 
live ; and whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never 
die."* 

When we view Jesus at the grave of Lazarus "weeping/* 
we admire the compassionate, sympathizing Redeemer, 
moved at the ravages occasioned by sin and death ; — -but 
when we hear him pronounce these energetic words " come 
forth," we are filled with awe, and look upon him with aston- 
ishment, as the Deity in human form. Who but God ever 
pronounced such a command ; who but God would imme- 
diately have been obeyed? The word was no sooner uttered 
than death delivered up its prey, and Lazarus arose from 
the tomb. By acts like these, Jesus not only shewed his 
omnipotence, but the absolute certainty of a general resur- 
rection of the dead. 

The miracle was performed at Bethany, not far from Je- 
rusalem, and but a little while before the crucifixion of our 
Lord. The circumstance was witnessed by a great number of 
spectators, some of whom believed, but others were so ob- 
stinately chained down under the force of prejudice, that 
" they would not believe in the divine mission of Jesus, 
though they had seen him raise from the dead."f These 
infidels, upon whom miracles had no effect, vvent and re- 
ported what they had seen to the Chief Priests and Pharisees, 
who instantly " called a council and said, what do we ? for 
this man doeth many miracles. If we let him thus alone, 
all men will believe on him, and the Romans shall come and 
take away both our place and nation." 

* John si. 25, 26. f Luke xvi. 31. 



JESUS CHRIST. 37? 

Worldly policy is commonly regardless of truth or justice* 
These men pretended to be afraid that the design of Jesus 
was to excite a revolt, though his conduct and preaching 
were quite different from such a project. But their own 
confession that he " did many miracles" sufficiently convicts 
them of the basest injustice. Those mighty works, they 
ou^ht to have known, could not be the effect of any thing 
short of divine power, for neither human craft nor diaboii« 
cal agency could restore a man to life, after having lain iu the 
grave three days. 

The most inveterate enemies of truth and righteousness, 
however, are sometimes compelled to bear their testimony in 
behalf of the very cause which they oppose and persecute 
with the greatest malignity. Thus the members of the Jew- 
ish council assembled to plot the death of Jesus, could not 
but acknowlege that " he did many miracles ;" and the chief 
of them, Caiaphas, the High-Priest, uttered this remarkable 
prophecy, while he thought only of venting his own evil ma- 
chination : " Ye know nothing at all, " nor consider that it is 
expedient for us that one man should die for the people, 
and that the whole nation perish not." The evangelist who 
records the account of this confederacy, thus explains the 
saying of Caiaphas ; u And this spake he not of himself, 
but being high- priest that year, he prophesied that Jesus 
should die for that nation ; and not for that nation only, but 
that also he should gather together in one the children of 
God that were scattered abroad."* 

The advice of the high-priest prevailed, and from that day 
the death of Jesus was determined. 

We have seen the lowly Redeemer studiously avoiding 
popularity, refusing all splendid appearances, and retiring 
from an applauding multitude to indulge himself in the ex- 
ercises of private devotion. His conduct was a complete 
illustration of his own assertion, that u he was come not to 
be ministered unto, but to minister,"! and likewise of that em- 
phatic declaration which he made to Pilate, " My kingdom 
is not of this world.":): 

But as he was now drawing to the close of hislife,hebegao 
to assume the regal and judicial authority. 

The passover being nigh at hand he proceeded toward* 
Jerusalem, and coming to the mount of Olives, he sent two 
©f his disciples to a neighbouring village to fetch a young ass 
which they should find there with its dam. They were also told* 

* Jolmxi. 47—51, + Matt. xx. .28 ± Joimxvii*. f& 
3 3 



378 SCRIPTURE BIOGRAPHY. 

that if the owner should ask them any questions, they wefete 
answer that the Lord had need of her, upon which he would 
readily deliver the ass unto them. They went as directed, 
and found all things agreeable to what their master had said- 
On this humble animal did Jesus make his entry into Jerusa- 
lem, accompanied by great multitudes, who were attracted 
by the fame of his miracles. — Some of them, out of reve- 
rence to his person, spread their garments in the road, while 
others cut down branches from the trees and cast them in the 
way. The persuasion of his being the Messiah seems to 
have been general among the people who thus attended him,, 
for they cried before him " Hosanna to the son of David ; 
bit ssed is the King that cometh in the name of the Lord ; 
peace in heaven and glory in the highest."* 

Thus remarkably was accomplished the prediction of Za- 
chariah : u Rejoice greatly O daughter of Zion j shout, O 
daughter of Jerusalem : behold thy King cometh unto thee ; 
he is just and having salvation, lowly and riding upon an ass y 
and upon a colt the foal of an ass."f 

But miracles and prophecies were insufficient to open the 
eyes of the malevolent Pharisees. This triumphant proces- 
sion and the acclamations of the people, only filled their 
minds with envy and rage. " We prevail nothing," say 
they, u the world is gone after him.":): 

How different were the emotions which at this moment 
agitated the bosom of our Lord ! Regardless of the applauses 
with which he was welcomed by the crowd, and of the steps 
that were plotting against him by his enemies, his soul was 
filled with compassion for the city which appeared in view. 
He beheld Jerusalem, the highly -favoured city of God, sunk 
into infidelity and corruption ; its cup of iniquities nearly 
running over ; and its destruction as inevitable. As he con- 
templated the melancholy prospect his heart was overcharg- 
ed with grief, and he wept, saying, "If thouhadst known, 
even thou," wicked as thou art, " at least in this thy day," 
while there was grace left for thee, " the things which 
belong unto thy peace," thou mightest even yet have been 
saved, 4i but now they are hid from thine eyes. For the 
days shall come upon thee that thine enemies (the Romans) 
shall cast a trench round about thee, and compass thee round, 
and keep thee in on every side, and shall lay thee even with 
the ground, and thy children within thee ; and they shall not 

* Matt. £*i. 9.— Lukecrix. 38. f Zedl.i*. & 

4 Joha atii. 19. 



JE3US CHRIST, 37^ 

leave in- thee one stone upon another, because thou b.ewest- 
not the time of thy visitation."* 

This prophecy was fulfilled m cue exactest manner, as ap- 
pears from the affecting history of josephus, the Jevvish ms- 
torian. The Romans pitched their tents upon the very 
mount where Christ delivered this prediction, and in three 
days Titus compassed the wnole city round with a trench, or 
wall, about tour miles in length, which kept the inhabi- 
tants in so strictly on every side^ as to prevent ah possibility 
ot escape. When cue city w as taken, it xvas laid even with 
the ground* except three towers which were preserved as 
monuments of the Roman power, and the very foundation 
stones ot the temple were ploughed up, so that not one was 
left standing upon anotlier. 

As this entry of our Saviour indicated his regal authority, 
so ne proceeded to exercise it in a judicial manner immedi- 
ately after his arrival ; tor proceeding to the temple he cast 
out, as he had done once before, those who profaned chat 
holy place by their merchandize. 

To shew that he had a divine power to perform these 
things, " the blind and the lame came to him in the temple, 
and ne healed thera."^ These miraculous actions filled Uiq 
city with astonishment. The people crowded to see this 
extraordinary personage out of curiosity, some believed in 
sincerity of heart, others were read) to receive him as the 
Messiah, or a deliverer in a temporal sense, and the very chil- 
dren were taught to cry " Hosanna to the Son of David," 
but the Ru*ers and the Pharisees were enraged beyond mea- 
sure. Various schemes were devised lor his destruction, but a 
dread of the peopie, who held him in great veneration, restrain- 
ed the iiands of hi* enemies from attacking him openly.— 
Some of these very Rulers were persuaded that he was the 
Messiah, but they were afraid to avow their conviction h?st 
they should be excommunicated, " loving the praise of men 
more than the praise of God "£ 

Are there not numbers ot a similar description among 
those who are called Christians ? They believe in their 
hearts that Jesus is the Christ, that the gospel is true, that 
there is no other method of salvation than by faith in the 
Redeemer, and that " without holiness no man shall see tne 
Lord ;" yet the same persons are ashamed to avow their prin- 
ciples and to act upon them. They know that the maxi ns 
and practices ot the world are but very rarely agreeable to 

* Luke xix/ 42— 4.4, | Matt, xxi, 14. * John xii. 43. 



380 SCRIPTURE BIOGRAPHY. 

the precepts and example of Christ, and yet the " praise of 
men" has a prevailing influence over their minds, and they 
comply with what is sinful rather than be considered as singu- 
lar or precise. 

Tne condemnation of such men will be heavy in that day, 
when notwithstanding all their pretensions of faith and 
righteousness, the Judge shall say w 1 know you not whence 
you are, depart from me ye workers of iniquity "* 

After preaching several days in the temple, and confirm- 
ing his word by various miracles, whicn produced little 
other effect than that of drawing around nim numerous 
spectators, and irritating to a greater pitch the malevolence 
of his enemies, our blessed Lord closed Kis public labours 
by celebrating the passover with his disciples. It became 
* l him to fulfil all righteousness," and as this solemn feast had 
been instituted not merely to perpetuate the remembrance of 
the deliverance of Israel f om their Egyptian bondage, but 
also to prefigure the sacrifice of the paschal-lamb who was to 
be offered up for the sins of the world ; therefore did Jesus 
finish the rite himself before he completed what it represented 
on the cross. u With desire I have desired to eat this pas- 
sover with you," says he to his disciples as they sat at table 
with him, " before I suffer : for 1 say unto you, I will not 
cat any more thereof, until it be fulfilled in the kingdom 
of God." 

On this occasion he shewed them a striking example of 
humility by washing their feet, and afterwards " wiping 
them with the towel wherewith he was girded." This re- 
markable circumstance occurred while they were at supper, 
for it is said, " that when he had finished and was sat down 
again to the supper," he explained the reason of what he had 
done, in these words ; u Ye call me master and Lord j and 
ye say well, for so I am. If I then, being your Lord and 
master have washed your feet, ye ought also to wash one 
another's feet ; For I have given you an example, that ye 
should do as I have done to you. Verily, verily, I say unto 
you, the servant is not greater than his Lord ; neither is he 
that is sent greater than he that sent him. If ye know these 
things, happy are ye if ye do them."f 

After this affecting exhortation, which illustrated so pow- 
erfully the condescending action he had just performed, Je- 
sus was troubled in spirit and said, " verily, verily, one of 
you shall betray me." This declaration occasioned a deep 

* lA&e xiU. 2f . f Jobn xiii. 13— 17. 



JESUS CHRIST. 381 

concern among the disciples, and they began to look upon 
one another with astonishment. Each put the question with 
a degree of distressing anxiety, " Lord is it i f" Kven tue 
traitor himself, Judas lscariot, joined his brethren in the 
same enquiry and received a token of assent. Ttie daemon 
of malice entered the heart of uic apostate, as Jesus admin- 
istered to him the sop dipped iti the sacramental wine, which 
proved the seal of nis condemnation, " That thou doest 
do quickly," said his benevolent master, with a penetrating 
Iook. Tiie other disciples were ignorant ot un lr Lora's 
meaning, and supposed tnatas Judas was the purse-bearer, 
the intent ot the words was, that he should provide what 
was necessary lor the feast. When the traitor was de- 
parted, the oiessed jesus began to exult in the glorious pros- 
pect betore him, though it was to be a dismal scenv ol pain 
and agony. " Now is the son ol man glorified," he ex- 
claimed, " and God is glorified in him. it God be glorifi- 
ed in him, God shall also glorify him in himself, and shall 
straightway glorify him."* It was a strain of triumphant 
anticipation, that, notwithstanding all the malice oi .us 
-adversaries, and the adversaries of man's salvation, che 
divine and human nature would each be gloniied in tnis 
great conflict. 

He then proceeded to comfort his disciples, and to exhort 
them to cultivate a spirit of mutual harmony, by a conside- 
ration drawn from his marvellous grace and kindness unto 
the sons of men. M A new commandment give I unto you, 
that ye love one another as I have loved you ; that ye also 
love one another." This is the reason why it is called a new 
commandment, because it is urged from a motive that 
was never duly felt, or couid be understood before the time 
of our Saviour. His love to us is indeed beyond all com- 
prehension, for it brought him from the seat of glory to the 
state cf wretchedness and suffering for our salvation: u if 
then he so loved us, how ought we to love one another r"f 
As partakers of the same inestimable grace, as joint mem- 
bers ol the same body, as heirs of the same great salvation, 
we are bound by the strongest obligations to " live in love." 
The whole human race were the objects of his love, and, 
therefore, we ought to regard all men as our brethren. But 
in an especial manner are we to be kind and compassionate, 
tender and forgiving, to those who with us are called Chris- 
tians j however they may differ from us in opinions or 

* Johnxiii. 31— €4. + Uohn ir. 11. 



m SCRIPTURE BIOGRAPHY. 

customs. We have seen Jesus washing the feet of his dis- 
ciples, and those of judas the traitor amongst the rest. — - 
Le, us profit by so amiable, so exalted an example, u^d 
instead of ;emg p oud, reserved, uncharitaole, censorious, 
snd vindictive, iet us set this instance of our blessed Sa- 
viour's condesce isiou always belore us, and learn from it 
p.ol only to be kma and loving to our brethren, but forgiving 
and gentle even to our enemies. 

Not ing certainly could be a fitter preparation for the 
institution of the holy Eucharist than this striking example 
or humility* The passover was a particular rite confined 
to the circumstances of the Jewisn nation only, thougn as a 
ty\ic it represented the redemption of man by the sacrifice of 
the Messiah ; but that rite was now to cease with ail the 
©tiler ordinances which prefigured Christ. Our Lord hav- 
ing finished trie passover, proceeded to institute another 
solemn feast in its room, and that it might make the deeper 
impression upon the minds of his disciples, he began with 
i4 washing their feet." Having thus shewn with what 
temper and disposition of mind every follower of his must 
come to the feast, namely, in humility and charity, he 
" took bread," and having blessed it, he brake the same, 
and divided it among his disciples, saying, u Take, eat, 
this is my body which is given, or broken for you." # — » 
When he uttered these words, it is clear that his action ex- 
pressed his meaning, or that in saying " this is my body 
which is given for you," he pointed with his fing.r to him- 
self. But if he did not, the meaning is the same, and in 
that sense he must have been understood, for it is utterly im- 
possible that the disciples could receive the bread as the very 
identical body of the person who addressed them. The lan- 
guage is figurative, and is very common in the New Testa- 
ment. Thus our Lord calls himself il a door," and " a 
vine," because it is only through his merits that we can enter 
the kingdom of heaven ; and that from him we derive spni- 
tual strength and support, as the branches do from the vine. 
Nothing can be more absurd than the doctrine of transub- 
stantiation, which supposes that after the elements are conse- 
crated, the " bread and the wine" become, in spite of our 
senses, the very body and blood of Christ. 

When our Lord had distributed the bread, he took a cup 
of wine and gave it to them, saying, " drink ye all ol it — 
This cup is the New Testament in my blood which is shed 

* Luke xxii. If. 



JESUS CHRIST. 383 

For you, and for many, for the remission of sins. Bat verily 
I say unto you, I will drink no more, henceforth, of this 
fruit of the vine, until that day when I drink it new with you 
in my Father's kingdom ;" meaning that he would make no 
more use of these typical shadows, as he was now about to 
perform what they represented. There is a striking difference 
between the address which our Lord made to his disciples 
when he gave them the cup, and that which he made use ot 
when he distributed the bread. On giving the wine he said 
" drink ye all of this :"meaningbeyonda doubt " that?as the 
wine represented his blood poured out for the sins of the 
world, therefore ail his followers were to partake of this com- 
munion in remembrance of the redemption which it repre- 
sents. If his body was bruised for us, his blood was shed, 
that by faith we might be cleansed from all iniquity ; conse-* 
quently it is our privilege and duty to partake of that which 
figures the one as well as that which represents the othe? . — > 
But the Roman church restricts the sacramental cup to tie 
clergy, in direct opposition to the nature and design of the 
ordiuance, as well as to the express words of our blessed 
Saviour, u drink ye all of this." 

From these words, and from the very nature of the insti- 
tution itself, which was to be a perpetual commemoration of 
the death of Christ, it is evident that all who bear the Chris- 
tian name are under an indispensible obligation to partake of 
this holy ordinance. 

If all the Israelites were required to celebrate the passo- 
ver in remembrance of a temporal redempnon, surely we 
have infinitely a greater reason to commemorate that sacri- 
fice, by which we obtain everlasting salvation. Our Lord 
hath said, u do this in remembrance of me," than which no 
command can be more explicit. It is therefore a criminal 
disobedience in those who neglect this sacrament, even 
though they do so upon the vague plea, that they are not 
prepared for the due reception of it. Their duty is to gain 
a thorough sense of the importance of this institution in 
their minds, and to pray earnestly for that grace, without 
which neither this nor any other ordinance of Christ's 
church will be of any service. But let it be seriously con- 
siderd that he is to be followed in the steps which he has 
himself trod, and to be served by an obedience of his com- 
mandments. He prescribed the manner of the sacramental 
institution, he declared its design, he shewed by his exam- 
ple the preparation necessary for the d'J.e cekbratiou of it 3 



384 SCRIPTURE BIOGRAPHY. 

namely, humility and charity, and then he gave an express 
injunction to his disciples, and through them to all who 
should in after ages be called by his name to " do this in re- 
mem brance of him." 

This sacrament is a feast upon a sacrifice, and they who 
turn their backs upon the feast, and who will not participate 
of the symbols of Christ's body and blood, shew that they 
have no concern about their interest in that sacrifice. Chris? 
is here set forth as an object of faith, and therefore, to ne- 
glect his solemn ordinance is in effect to despise what he hath 
done a»vl suffered for our salvation. 

T his is a serious matter ; and one great reason why there 
is so little substantial religion in the Christian world is, the 
indifference with which the Lord's supper is generally 
treated. 

Bv thus keeping our suffering, bleeding and dying Lord 
" in remembrance," we gain a deeper knowlege of the dead- 
ly malignity of sin, and of all its dreadful consequences.— « 
Here we behold what an immense price it cost the Saviour 
to redeem us even with" his most precious blood." Here 
we see the purity of the divine law in its perfection exacting 
complete obedience to all its precepts Here we learn the 
immutability and inflexibility of the justice of God, which 
could not be satisfied without the " shedding of blood," and 
that of the Son of God as of a lamb without spot and with- 
out blemish. 

In considering these awful things, we must feel a sweeC 
sense of gratitude to Him who hath thus wrought out our 
salvation at the expence of such excruciating agonies. We 
must feel an abhorrence of sin as the cause of all his bitter 
sufferings. We must have humbling views of ourselves, 
for delighting so much as we have done in that which op- 
pressed his soul and lacerated his body. We must consc*- 
quentlv, under the influence of such sentiments, desire to 
love God more, and to serve him better than we have hither- 
to done. On rising from this feast we shall" rejoice with 
trembling ;" glad, inexpressibly glad, that we have commu- 
nion with the Father through the merits of his Son, and by 
the influence of the Holy Ghost, — but filled at the same time 
■with a holy awe, with deep compunction of heart, and with 
more earnest breathings for an increase of divine love, and 
more holiness of heart and life. 

In this ordinance there is a communion between heaven 
and earth. Angels attend upon the devout worshippers^ 



JESUS CHRIST. 3& 

and share with them in their joy. Christ is present, and 
fills the hearts of his people with comfort while thej are 
feasting upon him in faith. The eternal Father smiles upon 
the iteration of this acceptable sacrifice ; and the Holy Spi- 
rit applies the blessings of pardon and peace to the soul of 
every humble and believing Christian. Well then may we, 
in this comprehensive view of the inestimable mercies dis- 
played in the Supper of our Lord, adopt the animating invi- 
tation of the prophet, " Ho, every one that thirsteth come ye 
to the waters, and he that hath no money ; come ye buy and 
eat, buy wine and milk without money and without price. 
Wherefore do ye spend money for that which is not bread £ 
And your labour for that which sati.sfieth not ? Hearken di- 
ligently unto me, and eat ye that which is good, and let your 
soul delight itself in fatness."* 

After supper our Lord exhorted his disciples to abide 
closely to each other, and in uuion with him as their spiritual 
head. He also comforted their hearts by assuring them, 
that though it was absolutely necessary for him to depart, 
yet that he would still visit and strengthen them in all diffi- 
culties by the power of his spirit, which should rest upon 
them. Afcer this he commended them in a solemn and 
affecting prayer to his heavenly Father, by which action 
he has taught us the duty of praying with and for each other. 
When the tender scene was ended, and Jesus and his disci- 
ples had sung a psalm, which most likely was one of David's, 
containing a prediction of the Messiah, they went towards 
the Mount of Olives, the usual place of our Lord's retire- 
ment. As they were going he told his disciples that they 
should all be offended and deserthim that night. This, doubt- 
less, affected all of them very sensibly, but Peter, more eager 
than the rest, exclaimed, " though all men forsake thee yet 
will not 1 ?" The other disciples caught the spirit of their 
companion and repeated his declaration, but Jesus meekly 
reproved the over-confident apostle, by predicting that before 
the cock announced the dawn of day, he would deny his 
master thrice. 

When they came to the garden of Gethsemane, he took 
three of his disciples apart from the rest, and beginning to 
feel an inexpressible agitation of mind, he directed them to. 

watch while he prayed at a little distance from them. 

Though the description whicn the Evangelists give of this 
awful scene is very concise, yet there is something in it 

* Isaiah lv. 1, 2. 
3 C 



m SCRIPTURE BIOGRAPHY 

that fills the mind with a chill of horror. His soul was 
oppressed with sorrow, and he was in a state of perplexity 
and amazement. Great indeed must have been that burden 
which lay upon his mind as to occasion this melting prayer ; 
" O my Father, if it be possible let this cup pass from me, 
nevertheless not as 1 will but as thou wilt "* 

So great indeed was his agony, that the sweat which 
ran from him was in the emphatic language of inspiration, 
*' as it were great drops of blood falling down to the 
ground." What but an extremity of suffering could have 
produced such effects, in a person of that calmness and forti- 
tude which our Lord always manifested in the most pro- 
voking trials? On the supposition of his being no more 
than man, this violent commotion of spirit, this dreadful 
conflict and agitation so strongly marked in the description, 
and so difficult to be conceived, could not be mentioned as 
a matter worthy of admiration, or as furnishing a brilliant 
example. It would seem, in that case, to argue a despon- 
dency of mind, a shrinking from danger, and a desire of life, 
contrary to his own doctrine. We must then, for the cre- 
dit of our religion, and for the honour of its Author, as well 
as for the right understanding of the evangelical history, 
consider this agony in the garden as an inward conflict, the 
nature of which cannot be comprehended, but which was 
absolutely necessary to the perfecting of our salvation. It 
was a pressure upon the humanity of Christ, which, but for 
the divine nature united with it, could not have been sup- 
ported. Hence the antient Greek liturgies had this prayer 
in their litany, which very forcibly expresses the awful mys- 
tery of our Saviour's agony, '• by thy unknown sufferings, 
O Christ!" 

In the height of this conflict " there appeared an angd 
unto him, strengthening him." This very circumstance*, 
so happily introduced into the most mysterious scene of our 
Saviour's life, sufficiently proves that the struggle he then 
endured was be) ond all that imagination can conceive, and 
different from human sufferings, even those of the greatest 
magnitude. The appearance of an angel to " strengthen 
him," when he was assailed by no visible enemies, must be 
strange and unaccountable to those who regard Jesus Christ 
as a mere man, who came only to declare the way of life 
more perfectly, to open the doctrine of a future state, and 
to set an example of righteousness, fortitude, and resigns*, 

* Matt, xxvi, 40, 



JESUS CHRIST. S&jr 

D to the divine will. Considering him in this view only, 
and not as the bearer of our sins, and suffering the divine 
wrath in our stead, the whole of this affecting transaction 
must be perplexed and derogatory to our Saviour's charac- 
ter, as the most illustrious example of unshaken courage. 

But Christians indeed, who believe him to be u both 
God and man," will have different sentiments when they 
contempiate him in the garden ot Gethsemane- They will 
behold him tiiere not as a man endeavouring to avoid diffi- 
culties and sufferings in the cause he had undertaken, but as 
taking the dreadful cup of tht divine wrath on account of 
our sins, and in consequence of it exposed under the deepest 
gloom to the fierce attacks of the powers of darkness. They 
will behold him there, not as a poor suffering man shrinking 
from calamity, but as a warrior opposed singly to the host 
oi helL Their eyes are intent upon the champion, who is 
fighting for them with their most inveterate enemies ; and 
they behold him in the dark valley contending and wrestling 
with " principalities and powers." In a reference to this 
memorable conflict the prophet Isaiah thus introduced! 
Christ as a mighty victor returning from the field of battle. 
" Who is this that corneth from Edom with dyed garments 
from Bozrah ? This that is glorious in his apparel, travel- 
ling in the greatness of his strength ? I that speak in righ- 
teousness, mighty to save. Whereiore art thou red in thine 
apparel, and thy garments like him that treadeth the wine 
fat ? I have trodden the wine press alone, and of the peo- 
ple there was none with me ; for I will tread them in mine 
anger, and trample them in my fury, and their blood shall- 
be sprinkled upon my garments, and I will stain all my 
raiment."* 

When our Saviour returned the third time to his disciples, 
and found them still slumbering, he said, a sleep on now and 
take your rest ; it is enough ; the hour is come ; behold now 
the son of man is betrayed into the hands of sinners ! Rise 
up, let us go ; lo, he that betrayeth me is at hand." To 
understand these words, which, on a casual view, may im- 
ply a contradiction, we may suppose that our Lord, when he 
said, u sleep on now and take your rest," meant that they 
might no>v rest safely since in this conflict he had vanquished 
their enemies, and had gained that conquest by which the 
peace and happiness of his people are secured. But though 
the words may bear this sense, yet by considering them as a 

* Isaiah lxiii. 1, 2, 5. 



38S SCRIPTURE BIOGRAPHY; 

question, " do ye sleep now and take your rest ?" the diffi- 
culty is more easily removed, and the reading is at once na- 
tural and appropriate. At that very moment appeared Ju- 
das with a band of men to apprehend him. The traitor, 
who had betrayed his master to the chief priests for a sum of 
money, gave the soldiers a sign by which they should dis- 
tinguish Jesus from his disciples ; " whomsoever 1 shall 
kiss, that sane is he ; take him, hold him fast, and lead him 
away safely." The apostate disciple, knowing well the spot 
where his master usually retired, went before the soldiers, 
and on approaching him he assumed a gentle ascent, and 
said, u Hail master ! and kissed him." By going before the 
rest, and acting in this hypocritical manner, k seems 
that Judas wished to impose upon his master, and upon his 
fellow disciples, and to appear as if he had no concern in this 
base transaction. But his treachery could not be concealed 
under the deep guise of dissimulation. Jesus meekly said 
to him, " friend, wherefore art thou come I Judas betray- 
est thuu the son of man with a kiss ? 

The violence of an open enemy is far less criminal than 
the base and insidious conduct of men who endeavour to in- 
jure the persons whom they flatter and caress. In a religi- 
ous sense this hypocrisy is infinitely more sinful than open 
impiety. Yet how many are there who, under the pretence 
of loving Christ and his gospel, " betray him into the hands 
of his enemies," or who injure his cause by a love of ungod- 
ly gain, by a sinful compliance with the customs of an evil 
world, and by yielding to the cavils of infidels and heretics, 
the fundamental doctrines upon which his church is estab- 
lished ! Bow many, again, are there who *' kiss the son" 
with much apparent affection, who talk of his goodness, his 
love, and his grace, as though they were the best and most 
afFectionate of his disciples, and yet all the while are serv- 
ing his greatest adversaries, " the devil, the world, and 
the flesh ?" 

it nas been the lot of our Saviour, and still is so, to be 
M wounded in the house of his friends," or to receive the 
greatest injury and disonour from these persons who are 
called by his name. Let all them who u bear the name of 
Christ" consider this well, that unless they are sincere in 
their profession, by " departing from iniquity," it will " be 
better for Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment than 
for them. " 

The blessed Jesus having thus reproved Judas 7 who had 



JESUS CHRIST. 389 

the audacity to mingle with the rest of the disciples^ went 
forward intrepidly to the soldiers, and said " Whom seek: 
ye ?" They answered, Jesus of Nazareth. Jesus saith 
unto them " I am he." On making this declaration, such a 
refulgence of glory and majesty burst from his countenance, 
as struck the w hole band with terror, and they fell to the 
ground ? When they had recovered themselves, he repeated 
his question ; and receiving the same answer, he yielded 
himself up to them, though he had just given a sufficient 
proot that he had it in his power to destroy them all. But the 
appointed hour, was come, and the absolute submission of 
our Lord to the lowest stage of degradation, was indispen- 
sible in the great scheme of redemption, which was now 
drawing to a close. 

The power of his enemies would have been excited in 
vain against him, if he had not voluntarily submitted himself 
into their hands, as " a lamb that is carried to the slaughter." 

But though he was ready to encounter all the malice of 
persecutors in his own person, he was tender of the safety of 
his disciples, 

In the midst of his own troubles, and in the view of the 
most dreadful sufferings, he has an affectionate concern for 
his little flock, and therefore addresses the soldiers in what 
might seem the language of supplication, did not their com- 
pliance shew that they were compelled to obedience by his 
command. u If ye seek me," says he, " let these go away." 

The disciples, however, were not disposed to imitate the 
patient submission of their master, but requested leave to re- 
sist the soldiers. Without waiting for his answer, Peter, 
who was ever the most eager and zealous, " drew his sword, 
and smote a servant of the high-priest and cut off his right 
ear." Jesus, after healing the wounded man, reproved the 
the forwardness of his disciple in terms which sufficiently 
prove the sinfulness of resisting the lawful magistrate : 
44 Put up again thy sword into his place : for all they that 
take the sword shall perish with the sword. Thinkest thou 
that I cannot now pray to my Father, and he shall presently 
give me more than twelve legions of angels? But how then 
shall the Scriptures be fulfilled that thus it must be ? The 
cup which my Father hath given me shall 1 not drink it ?"* 

On resigning himself into the hands of his enemies, Jesus 
expostulated with them for the treacherous manner in 

* Matt. xxvi. 52—54. JohnxyUi. 11. 



390 SCRIPTURE BIOGRAPHY. 

which they had proceeded against him. Are ye come out 
as against a thief with swords and staves to take me ? I 
sat daily with you in the temple, and ye laid no hold of me, 
ye stretched forth no hands against me, but the Scripture 
must be fulftlied : this is your hour and the power of dark- 
ness."* 

His disciples, who had probably been expecting to see the 
divine power of their master exercised against his ene- 
mies, finding him now a prisoner, were panic struck and 
fled. 

Peter, however, followed " afar off," and when he saw 
Jesus led to the palace of the high-priest, he entered with 
the crowd and sat down by the fire among the servants to 
watcti the event. And now came on the examination of 
Jesus before the Sanhedrim ; but though the vilest arts were 
made use of to procure evidences to substantiate some charge 
of a capital nature against him, yet none could be found, 
and when u false witnesses arose" their testimony was so 
contradictory, that the sanguinary judges themselves dared 
not admit it. 

At length the high-priest, who thirsted for the blood of 
the righteous, adjured Jesus in the name of the Most High, 
to declare whether he were the " Christ, the Son of the 
blessed." This form of adjuration could not according to 
the Jewish law, be evaded Our Lord, therefore, as soon 
as the question was put, answered directly u I am : and ye 
shall see the son of man sitting on the right hand of power, 
and coming in the clouds of heaven."f 

When Caiaphas heard this declaration he " rent his 
clothes," as a token of the greatest abhorrence and detesta- 
tion, exclaiming, " he hath spoken blasphemy ! What far- 
ther need have we of witnesses . ? Behold now ye have heard 
his blasphemy ; what think ye ? They answered and said, 
He is guilty of a crime deserving death." Nothing could 
be more iniquitous than this course of proceeding. Ac- 
cording to their law proclamation was to be macje for all 
who had any thing to allege in behalf of the prisoner to ap- 
pear, but this was not done on the trial of Jesus ; neither 
when he avowed himself to be the Messiah did they enquire 
into the proofs of his claim to that character. By declaring 
him a blasphemer without examination, the Jews are cut off 
from all hope of a Messiah ; for what higher testimonies can 

v * Matt. xxvi. 55, $&. Luke xxii. 52j 55. j Marie xiv. . 62. 



JESUS CHRIST. S9i 

be given of a divine mission than the working of miracles ? 
It was the duty of the Sanhedrim to enter into a full and 
minute enquiry into the grounds upon which our Lord's 
pretension was built, and by the neglect of it they were not 
only guilty of shedding innocent blood, but of removing the 
very foundation of their religion. 

Notwithstanding the numerous acts of love which he had 
performed for others, not a single person came forward out 
of gratitude to witness on his behalf. There were in the 
very council by whom he was tried some who believed m 
the truth of his mission, but the fear of man kept them silent. 
His own disciples had all forsaken him in the hour of per^ 
secution, agreeable to what he had himself foretold. Two 
of them indeed, Peter and John, followed him, but it was 
at a distance. Though they were apprehensive that their 
connexion with Jesus would bring them into danger, still 
there was a tender, sympathetic, dutiful concern for him In 
their minds. Faith v^ as very weak, hut affection was sin- 
cere and ardent. They " followed him afar off;" and Peter, 
whose courage was quick, ventured into the high-priest*s 
palace, where he sat with the servants by the fire, to see what 
would become of his master, it was not long before he was 
recognized as one of the followers of Jesus ; but when the 
question was put to him, he denied the fact with many 
imprecations. 

The mock-trial of Jesus being finished, he was committed 
to the charge of the servants, by whom he was treated with 
the vilest indignities, being buffetted, blindfolded, and spit 
upon; all of which he endured with calmness. Thus was 
fulfilled the declaration of the prophet : " He hid not his 
face from shame and spitting."* 

Early in the morning the Sanhedrim again assembled, 
when the same scene was repeated, and the charge of blas- 
phemy was confirmed. 

But the Jews had no longer the power of putting " any 
one to death," and therefore Jesus was hurried away to Pon- 
tius Pdate the Roman governor, who finding that the ac- 
cusation alleged against him related to matters peculiar to 
their religion, directed the chief-priests to try the prisoner 
according to their law. This offer they refused, as by ac- 
cepting it they could not accomplish their desired object, 
which was the death of Jesus. Rather therefore than miss 
their sanguinary aim, these perjured wretches, whe could not, 



392 SCRIPTURE BIOGRAPHY: 

with all their craft and malice, gain any information against 
him of a criminal nature, accused him to Pilate as " a sedi- 
tious person and an enemy to Caesar, because he had said 
that he was Christ, a king." Thus did they reject in one 
word all hopes of a Messiah, and chose a heathen emperor 
instead of the king of righteousness. 

When Pilate heard these words he took Jesus and exa- 
mined him privately, but perceiving that the charge was the 
mere result of envy and revenge, he came out again to the 
Jews and declared that " he found no fault in the man." 

Rage and disappointment now swelled their malevolent 
hearts beyond all bounds, and they vociferated that Jesus 
had been guilty of sedition " from Galilee even to Jerusa- 
lem "* As Galilee was under the jurisdiction of Herod, 
who had murdered the Baptist, Pilate sent Jesus to him. — 
Herod had long wished to see this wonderful person, whose 
miracles had excited so much notice in his country ; and he 
was in hopes that " some notable miracle would now be 
performed by him in his presence." Bat when he could 
obtain no answer to the many questions which he put to Je- 
sus, he treated him in a contemptuous manner, and sent him 
back again to Pilate arrayed in a gaudy robe, as a mockery 
of his claim to the regal character. 

From that day Herod and Pilate, who were before at vari- 
ance, became friends. Thus the wicked from worldly con- 
siderations become bitter enemies ; but when Christ and his 
church are to be opposed and persecuted, ail private feuds 
are terminated, and they are linked in bonds of the closest 
amity. 

When Pilate saw that Herod had inflicted no punishment 
on Jesus, he was the more confirmed in the conviction of 
his innocence, and therefore proposed to the Jewish priests 
to ct chastise him and then release him." It was customary 
at the feast of the Passover for the governor to release any 
prisoner whom the people should desire.. As they were 
now clamorous that this privilege should be granted them, 
Pilate took the advantage of it by asking whether they would 
choose Jesus, or one Barabbas, who was a noted robber and 
murderer. By putting so vile a wretch in competition with 
Jesus, it is evident that Pilate thought the choice would fail 
upon the innocent person. But the Jews, at the instigation 
©f their priests, preferred a criminal of the most atrocious 

* Luke xxii. 5. 



JESUS CHRIST. 393 

cast to one whose whole life had been spent in doing good. 
Here we have a striking proof what little dependence is to 
be placed upon the disposition of the multitude. They who 
a few days before met Jesus with palms and olive- branches 
to welcome him into Jerusalem, now went to apprehend him 
with swords and sta^ es ; they who had hailed him with ho- 
sannas as the son of D.ivid, now cry vehemently, u Crucify 
him, crucify him !" and they who were eager to attend him 
as their king, now pursue him as a malefactor and thirst for 
his blood ! Pilate resisted the clamours of the people for a 
long time, and repeatedly declared his intention of letting 
Jesus go ; but there was a virtuous resolution wanting in 
him, and he had not the courage to oppose boldly the de- 
mand of the priests, though he was conscious that it was con- 
trary to truth and justice. 

At length they went so far as to threaten the governor, 
that if he refused to pass sentence of death upon Jesus, they 
would accuse him to the emperor as an abettor of treason. 
This declaration alarmed Pilate, who immediately placed 
himself on the judgment seat ; but still he felt a repugnance 
to adjudge a person to death of whose innocence he could 
not entertain the smallest doubt. Before he pronounced 
sentence, the reluctant governor caused Jesus, who had al- 
ready been scouraged, and whose wounds were still bleed- 
ing, to be presented to the view of the people, that by so 
moving a spectacle their hearts might relent. But they were 
steeled against all impressions of humanity, and when Pi- 
late emphatically pointed their attention to the meek and in- 
jured sufferer, saying, " Behold your king !" they critd, 
** Away with him, crucify him !"# 

The patience of Pilate was at last exhausted, but instead 
of driving the insolent and merciless rabble from his pre- 
sence, he consented to their will, and delivered Jesus up to 
be crucified. Conscious, however, that he was shedding in- 
nocent blood, Pilate adopted a miserable de\ic« to free him- 
self from the guilt of it. On pronouncing i entence, he took 
water, and washing his hands in the presence of the people, 
said, " I am innocent of the blood of this just person, see 
ye to it."f 

The declaration was as false as the action was pitiful and 
superstitious ; for with the power which was vested in him, 
and sensible as he was of the innocence of Jesus, it was his 

*|ohnxis. IS. fMatt. xxyU, <?4. 

3T* 



394 SCRIPTURE BIOGRAPHY. 

duty to resist the unrighteous demand of a misguided mul- 
titude, set on by their malevolent teachers. It is a shocking 
thing for a man to act against his conscience, and to be 
driven on in wickedness by the solicitations or threatenings 
of others. Pilate, in thus criminally consenting to the death 
of the innocent, entailed infamy upon his name, and in no 
long time afterwards was deposed from his government, at 
the instigation of the Jewish people, whom he had grati- 
fied at the expence of his conscience. 

But the punishment of that nation was a still more strik- 
ing display of the divine judgments. When Pilate endeav- 
oured to excuse himself from the guilt of shedding innocent 
blood, the people madly exclaimed, " His blood be on us 
and our children." The imprecation was most dreadful, 
but it was and is exactly accomplished in the destruction of 
Jerusalem, and may now be seen in the dispersed condition 
of the Jews throughout the world. They are still a distinct 
people, "scattered and peeled among all nations," and though 
numerous and wealthy, yet despised every where and with- 
out power. + 

Judgment being past, Jesus was delivered over to the Ro- 
man soldiers, who in derision of his claim to royalty, and 
at the same time out of contempt to the Jews, dressed him 
in a purple robe, put a crown of thorns upon his head, and a 
reed as a sceptre in his hand. Then they bowed the knee 
in mockery saying, " Hail! king of the Jews!" But not 
content with insulting the innocent in distress, they treated ' 
him with the most barbarous cruelty, some of them smiting 
him with their hands, and spitting on him, while others 
took the reed from him and smote his head therewith, that 
the thorns might make a deeper impression, and occasion the 
most exquisite pain. 

In this mangled and wretched condition was Jesus once 
more presented to the view of the people by the Roman 
governor, who said, '* Behold I bring him forth to you, 
that ye may know that I find no fault in him !" Unmoved 
by this woful spectacle, or by the emphatic declaration of 
the governor, the chief priests repeated their demand that he 
shouid be crucified, and Pilate, borne down by their clamours, 
gave up the holy sufferer to endure the agonizing tortures of 
the cross. 

Let us now contemplate with astonishment and with sor- 
xowful coricern tke blessed Jesus led away amidst the tau&ts 



JESUS CHRIST. 39J 

end reproaches of an inhuman rabble to the plaee of execu- 
tion. Were it a poor persecuted m«u who had fallen a vic- 
tim to popular frenzy, or to the jeaiousy of a tyranical go- 
vernment, we should feel emotions of tenderness at the in- 
justice ot his late. But when we consider that this person's 
lite nas been spent in doing acts ot kindness to his fellow- 
creatures, and in preaching the most important truths that 
ever were revealed lor the instruction of mankind ; when we 
add to this that his character is spotless, anu his virtues the 
most exaiced, we must be impressed with the deepest sym- 
pathy ior his suffering condition, and with the greatest in- 
dignation at the conduct of his enemies. But what must 
be our wonaer, our concern and gratitude, when in this op- 
pressed, afflicted, lacerated sufferer we behold the eternal 
Son of God, the only begotten ot his Father, full of grace and 
truth, who for " us men and for our salvation came down 
from heaven,"* passed a life of poverty and labour, and at 
last endured all vk this contradiction of sinners,"! that by 
** his stripes we might be healed"^ of our mortal wound 
and live ior ever. When we behold Jesus bearing his cross 
to Calvary, let us consider him as groaning beneath the bur- 
then ot our imputed guilt, which brought him to this low 
and suffering state. In follpwing him with these thoughts 
we shall receive profit and consolation, while our hearts are 
melted down in tender compassion and grief. B> viewing 
him thus as our sacrifice, '* bearing our sins and carrying 
our sorrows," we shall approach the fatal spot where he is 
to be offered up with the greatest detestation of our iniqui- 
ties, as the cause of this dismal tragedy, and with an earnest 
desire to love him more and to serve him better than we have 
hitherto done. 

But behold he faints, he sinks beneath the ponderous load! 
The accumulation of injuries is too heavy for human nature 
to bear, and his mangled and enfeebled body can support the 
cross no longer. The soldiers, therefore, not out of com- 
passion, but to prevent his expiring on the road, lay the bur- 
den upon one Simon, a Cyrenean, who was passing at the 
time, and compel him to bear it to the place of execution. 
Tnis man v/as the father of Alexander and Rufus, two emi- 
nent pillars in the primitive church ; and thus did the Al- 
mighty reward Simon for the little contempt and labour 
which he suffered in the service of his Redeemer. Happy 

* Nicene Creed. j Heb. xii. 3. i IS. KS. 5- 



§M SCRIPTURE BIOGRAPHY. 

Simon, In being thus honoured to bear the cross of thy Sa- 
viour, and to ease, though but for a moment the sufferings 
fyhich he endured for thee ! Let us not then be ashamed of 
receiving contempt from the world in consequence of our 
attachment to Jesus. It will be better for us to u bear his 
cross," and to be despised for his name's sake, than to re- 
ceive the applause of the giddy multitude. By chusing ra- 
ther " to suffer with him than to enjoy the pleasures of sin 
for a season,"* our names will be recorded like that of Si- 
mon's " in the Lamb's book of life."f 

When the procession arrived at the appointed place, a 
potion consisting of " vinegar and gall" was given to Jesus, 
but when he had tasted thereof he would not drink. It was 
customary on these occasions to give the sufferer a mixture 
of wine and myrrh, to stupify the senses and hasten death. 
But out of cruelty our Lord's persecutors omitted this, and 
gave hi rn a nauseous draught, thus fulfilling what was said 
by David : " They also gave me gall lor my meat and vine- 
gar to drink. "i On his refusing this, it is supposed that 
some of his friends offered him the customary potion, but 
this also he rejected, being determined to endure all the pains 
that could be inflicted on him to the very uttermost. 

The body of Jesus being laid upon the accursed tree, and 
his arms stretched out on the transverse beam to such an ex- 
tent as to produce the most excruciating pain, sharp irons 
were driven into the wood through the palms of his hands, 
and likewise through the most tender part of his feet. A. 
label was then placed over his head, written by Pilate, bear- 
ing this inscription in Latin, Greek and Hebrew, u Jesus 
of Nazareth., King of the Jews" Thus was the Roman 
governor the means of proclaiming the regal diguity of 
©ur Lord to all the world. This however gave great offence 
to the chief priests, who requested that it might be altered ; 
but Pilate, out of resentment at having been compelled by 
them to shed the blood of the innocent contrary to his in- 
clination, refused to gratify their desire. 

The sacrifice being thus laid as it were upon the altar, 
was raised up between heaven and earth, a spectacle to an- 
gels and to men. 

There hangs the Lamb of God, suffering what no human 
imagination can possibly conceive. The blood flows in 
Streams from his wounded tempels, from his hands and his 

• Het>. -si. 26. t Rev. xxi. 27. * Psalm Ui». 2L 



JESUS CHRIST. 39* 

i'eet, while every nerve is agitated with pain, and every sense 
is tortured with agony, The whole weight of his body 
being suspended from the nails which fasten his hands to the 
cross, renders the sense ot let ling most exquisite in every 
part, from the crown of the head to the sole of the foot. 

In such a wofui state we should expect that the people 
would have hung down their heads in sorrow and been giicv- 
ed lor their conduct j but instead ol this they had the cruel- 
ty to mock and deride the sufferer in his last agonies, and to 
ye • the bitterest reproaches upon him for pretending to oe 
the Messiah. Thus literally was accomplished the ancient 
prophecies, particularly that of David: " All they that 
see me laugh me to scorn ; they shoot out the lip, they 
snake the head, saying, He trusted in the Lord that he 
would deliver him j let him deliver him seeing he deiightcth 
in him."* 

It is natural that fellow -sufferers should feel a degree of 
sympathetic concern for each other; but so generally w as 
our Lord kk despised and rejected of me* ,"f that even one of 
the thieves crucified with him treated him with inso- 
lence and derision. We cannot but wonder that such ob- 
duracy of heart should be found in one who was writhing 
in the most excruciating tortures. But we hasten from this 
melancholy spectacle, to behold a more pleasing scene. The 
other malefactor reproved his companion for the impiety 
of his conduct, and after ackuowleging the justice of theii* 
punishmeut, and the innocence of Jesus, he turned to him 
and said, u Lord remember me when thou comest into thy 
kingdom. "J 

That he should confess the divinity of Christ, and pray to 
him as his Goa and king, when he beheld him mocked, de- 
rided, bleeding, and dying by his side, is truly astonishing, 
and can be attributed only to the powerlul grace of God. 
Tne instance, however, is encouraging to sinners, as it 
proves that repentance, even at the last hour, will be accep- 
ted, and that salvation is extended to the vilest of mankind, 
who seek for it in penitence and faith. The pra) er of the 
d) ing thief was thus graciously answered by him to whom it 
was addressed : " Verily 1 say unto thee, this day shait thou 
be with me in paradise.' , Wno is this that receives homage 
while suspended on the ignominious tree, covered with 
wounds, aud bathed in his o..n blood ? Who is this that takes 

• Ps. xx. 7, 8. f Isa. liii. 2. * Luke xxiii. 42, 



338 SCRIPTURE BIOGRAPHY 

upon him to open the gates of heaven, and to pronounte 
|aar ivJi and peace, while his own hands are transfixed with 
Ya -66 cl irons LO tiie cross, an<| nis whole body is racked with 
pa i dud agony ? Who indeed can it be;, but the Lord of gio* 
ry muiseif, the D ity incarnate, who tw though he was in tne 
form of God thought it not roobery to be equal with God, but 
made himself of no reputation, and took upon hi the torm 
of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men ; anu be- 
ing formed ia fashion as a man, he humbled himself a.id be- 
came oredieat unto death, even the death of the cross*"* 

Thus the salvation ot this poor wretched outcast was the 
first truits of our Saviour's passion, the first purchase oi his 
death. He eaugnt trie prey from the very jaws of the enemy; 
and v^hile struggling himself with the king of terrors, he 
snatched this mise #-e object who cried to him for mercy, 
and gave him a place in his kingdom. What a mortification 
Is i .is to pride and self right-ousnes ! Tnousands of osten- 
tatious Pharisees ar. j permitted to remain in their sins and 
inndeiity, while one, whose hie has been a complete scene 
of iniqdity, is healed by the blood of Cnrist, and has 
the distinguished privilege of entering with him into Para- 
dise 

Consider this ye who are vain of your moral worthiness, 
and who despise others. Let this incident humble you in 
your own estimation, and convince you of this important 
truth, which it was evidently designed to teach, that the 
merits oi Cnrist are only efficacious to those who are of a 
" broken and contrite heart ;'' who, being sensible that they 
are sinners, seek for pardon only through the merits and 
mediation of a crucified Saviour. 

Ac die foot of the cross stood some of those pious women < 
who bad accompanied Jesus from Jerusalem, and among the 
rest was his mother, supported by John the Evangelist, to 
who.;), as a dying bequest, our Lord commended the care 
and protection of her m the most affectionate terms. Soon 
after this a supernatural darkness overspread the earth, 
which lasted from twelve o'clock at noon till three. So 
remarkable was it, that Dionysius the Areopagite, who was , 
then in Egypt, said to his friend Apollophanes , ^either 
the Author of nature suffers*, or he is sympathizing with 
that does. 5 ' This circumstance was afterwards 

* Philip, ii. 6, 7, 8, 



JESUS CHRIST. 399 

ilie means of bringing the same philosopher over to Christi- 
anity. 

And well might the sun suffer obscuration, when the sun 
of righteousness was experiencing an eclipse of the most 
awful nature, even a degree of mental agony which cannot 
be expressed, but which forced from his lips this plaintive 
cry — " My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken roe r"* 
At that moment, doubtless, the wrath of the Almighty 
against sin was peculiarly displayed ; and he who bore the 
immense weight of our guilt was deprived of those conso- 
lations and joys which pcocted from communion with the 
Father. The outward darkness was but a faint image of tha£ 
dreadful horror which filled the soul of our Saviour while 
his Father's face was withdrawn from him, and the fury of 
divine anger raged vehemently against him. To describe 
or conceive the agony, which in that dismal scene of woe he 
endured, is utterly impossible ; but it is proper that out? 
minds should often be led to the contemplation of the af- 
fecting scene, that we may have an abiding sense of grati- 
tude to nim who hath borne so much for us. But the period 
of suffering hastens to a close. " Jesus knowing"that all 
things were now accomplished, saith I thirst." On hear- 
ing this, one of the soldiers took a sponge, dipped in vine- 
gar, and put it to his mouth ; and when Jesus had tasted of 
the vinegar, he cried, " It is finished ;" that is, the whole 
work of redemption, or what he was to do for the purpose of 
reconciling sinners to God, was compieated. u And when 
he had cried again with a loud voice, he said Father, into 
th\ hands I commend my spirit j and having said this, he 
bowed his head and gave up the ghost.' ? f 

The manner m which our Lord expired sufficiently proves 
that he himself had declared that he had k * power to lav 
down his life, and power to take it again," for ht " cried 
with an exceeding loud voice," which in that kind of death 
was never known, as the powers of nature must necessarily 
be exhausted long before the last breath departed. But Je- 
sus possessed the full powers of his voice in the verv mo- 
ment of dissolution ; and when he exclaimed Wv It is finish- 
ed," it was the cry of a triumphant conqueror exulting over 
his prostrate foe. 

All nature was agitated at this awful moment, and many 
prodigies distinguished the great event. The heavens were 

* Matt, sxvii 46j t L*ks xxiii, 46, 



463 SCRIPTURE BIOGRAPHY. 

covered with darkness, and the sun seemed to be blotted 
from the firmament. The earth shook from her foundations, 
the rocks were rent in pieces, the graves were opened, and 
the bodies of some holy persons arose and appeared unto 
many. 

The vail which parted the holy of holies from the rest of 
the temple was rent in twain, to signify the abrogation of 
the ceremonial law, and that the partition-wall between Jews 
and Gentiles was now, by the death of Christ, wholly to be 
removed. 

These astonishing miracles filled the minds of many persons 
with terror, who came out of Jerusalem merely to gratify a 
wanton curiositv, or to indulge their enmity to Jesus by wit- 
nessing his sufferings^ They who had before mocked and re- 
proached him as an impostor, were now convinced uf his in- 
nocence, and returned to the city hanging down their heads in 
sorrow, and smiting their breasts in remorse* 

The very commander of the Roman soldiers, who at- 
tended the execution, could not but acknowlege that " this 
was the Son of God." Thus did Jesus, in his last moments, 
triumph ov?r his enemies, and even on the ignominious tree 
gather trophies of glory, by bringing both Jew and Gentile 
to confess his righteousness and divinitv. 

But the bigoted Pharisees and chief priests still continued 
obstinate and unmoved amidst this conflux of miracles, and 
what could convince a heathen idolater, and a proud Roman, 
had no effect upon their minds. 

Yet so superstitious were these very persons, that though 
thev made no scruple of imbruing their hands in the blood 
of the innocent, they were afraid that the land would be de- 
filed, if the bodies of those who had been crucified continued 
hanging on the Sabbath day. Therefore they besought 
Pilate that their legs might be broken to hasten their death, 
and that they might be taken away. Tnis was granted j 
and the legs of the two malefactors were broken by the sol- 
diers, but as Jesus was already dead they brake not his legs ; 
one of them, however, out of wanton barbarity, pierced his 
side with a spear, and straight^ ay there flowed from thence 
blood and water ; thus were these predictions fully accom- 
plished, " a bone of him shall not be broken,"f and " they 
shall look on him whom they have pierced.":): 

It was customary to cast out the bodies of those who had 

* Lukexxiii, 4, f Psa. xxxir. 30. £ Isa. Ixii, 9—1$ 



JESUS CHRIST, 40* 

suffered crucifixion, which was the most ignominious of all 
punishments, without interment. But though our Lord, 
according to ancient prophecy, was to be numbered with 
transgressors " of the vilest cast," that his humiliation 
might be as low as possible, yet it was also predicted, that 
he should M make his grave with the rich in his death."* — 
This also was literally fufilled, for Joseph of Arimathea, a 
man of considerable wealth and influence, went to Pdate 
and begged the body of Jesus, which being granted him 
he took and embalmed it, and laid it in a new sepulchre 
hewn out of a rock. The circumstances of our Lord's 
death and burial are very circumstantially related by all the 
Evangelists, that the proof of his resurrection might ap- 
pear iacontestible. Even the malignity of the Jews con- 
curred in establishing the truth of this glorious article of our 
faith, and to prove the fact beyond all doubt. Remember- 
ing that Jesus had declared that he would rise again in three 
days, the chief priests and pharisees were determined out 
of malice to give the death blow to Christianity, by proving 
the fallacy of his prediction. It was impossible, they 
thought, that he whose death was now certain should revive 
again ; but lest his followers might secrete his body and there- 
by pretend that he was risen, they went to the governor and 
requested him to appoint a guard of soldiers to watch the se- 
pulchre. This was done, and by them was the resurrection 
of Jesus witnessed. 

On the morning of the first day of the week, the stone which 
closed the mouth of the sepulchre was removed by a super, 
natural power, and a great earthquake announced the return 
of the mighty conqueror from his triumph over death and 
the grave ; and the angelical host, though they had borne no» 
part in the arduous conflict, attended to swell the glory of 
the scene and to wait upon their risen Sovereign. The sol- 
diers, when they beheld these wonders, hastened in terror 
to their employers and informed them of all the particulars ; 
but in the true spirit of infidelity the Sanhedrim, after hav- 
ing persecuted Jesus to death, were determined not to ac- 
knowlege him, though they had the certain proof of his hav- 
ing risen from the dead. They meanly gave large bribes to 
the soldiers to declare that while they slf pt his disciples had 
taken away the body of Jesus. A worse plea could hardly 
fee found, for if the soldiers were asleep, how could they 

* Isa. lxii. 9—12. 

3 E 



402 SCRIPTURE BIOGRAPHY. 

affirm that his disciples had committed this fact ; and besides, 
how was it possible for a few unarmed timerous men to suc- 
ceed in so bold an enterprize, which must have exposed 
them to the hazard of their lives, and when accomplished 
could be productive of no advantage ? 

But the evidence of this mighty event rested not upon one 
or two circumstances. It was established the same morningby 
the declaration of angels to some pious women, who, faithful 
in their attatchment,came at the dawn of day to the sepulchre 
of their Lord. They communicated the glad tidings to the 
disciples, who were themselves soon convinced of the joy- 
ful truth by his presence among them. Thomas, however, 
one of the twelve, was not with them when Jesus appeared, 
and the report of his brethren seemed so incredible, that he 
resolved not to believe, unless he should see his wounds, 
and be permitted to put his hand into his side. The doubts 
of the incredulous apostle were quickly removed, for Jesus 
came again amongst the disciples, and graciously condescend- 
ed to expose his wounded hands and side to the fingers of 
Thomas, whose heart overflowed with the mingled effusions 
of sorrow, joy, and gratitude, and he cried out, u My Lord 
and my God."* 

On many occasions, and to different persons, did Jesus 
manifest himself after his resurrection, though not to the 
priests or to the body of the Jewish nation, whose obduracy 
rendered them unworthy of such a favour. But there were 
sufficient witnesses of the fact, for he not only held the most 
familiar communications with his apostles, but with others 
of his followers, and " was seen of above five hundred 
brethren at ojice," the greatest number of whom lived many 
years afterwards, and were consequently able to attest a cir- 
cumstance of which they were the eye-witnesses. On these 
occasions he gave particular instructions to his disciples with 
respect to their important commission, directing them to 
wait at Jerusalem till they should be "endued with power 
from on high," or receive the influence of the Holy Ghost, 
after which they should go into all the world and preach the 
gospel to all nations, " baptizing them in the name of the Fa- 
ther, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, j" 

Having thus established his church, and appointed a regu- 
lar succession of apostolical men to administer in holy things, 
Jesus conducted his disciples to the Mount of Olives, from 
whence, after giving them his solemn benediction," he was 

•John xx. 28. . .fMatt xxviii. 19. 



JESUS CHRIST. 4m 

parted from them and carried up into heaven." His retinue 
consisted of a glorious train of angels, some of -whom tarried 
behind to comfort his astonished, weeping, adoring disciples, 
with the assurance that as they had " seen him go into hea- 
ven, so in like manner should they behold him come down 
from heaven,"* when he shall appear in majesty, to k * judge 
both the quick and the dead." 

The royal prophet has a sublime description of this glo- 
rious and triumphant entrance of our blessed Redeemer, in 
a Psalm which the church with admirable propriety makes 
use of on the feast of the Ascension. The throne of glo- 
ry, lifce the holy of holies in the temple, is represented as of 
such transcendent purity, that nothing imperfect can venture 
to approach it. How then can human nature draw near un- 
to this *' hill of the Lord, or stand in his holy place ?"f The 
question is of infinite concern to us, who appear to be cut 
orf by it, in consequence of our defiled siate by sin, from 
the possibility of an admission into the presence of God.-— 
But the prophet hastens at once to describe the character of 
the Messiah, who as our surety and representative takes 
possession of the seat of glory for us. 4k He shall ascend 
and stand there," says he, M who hath clean hands and a pure, 
heart ; who hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity, nor 
sworn deceitfully [or violated the covenant into which he 
entered for our redemption.] He shall receive the blessing 
from the Lord, and righteousness " for his people from the 
God of his salvation." 

The Psalmist then describes this exalted personage, this 
glorious Mediator, as coming up from the regions oi cor- 
ruption, and darkness, and death. Numerous angels pre- 
cede his approach, and boldly on his behalf demand en- 
trance into the realms of light. " Lift up your heads, O 
ye gates," they cry, w and be ye lifted up ye everlasting 
doors, and the King of Glory shall come in." Unused to 
such sounds from the quarter of desolation, the guardian 
spirits witnin cautiously enquire, wt Who is this King of Glo- 
ry V* Their brethren eagerly reply, u The Lord strong and 
mighty, the Lord i nighty in battle," all victorious. It is Jesus, 
the Gaptain of salvation, who hath contended with the powers 
of darkness, who hatn vanquished the foes of heaven, rescued 
the captive who were bound in chains, disarmed death of 
its sting, robbed the grave of its prey, and triumphed com- 

• Mark xvi, 15. fActsi. 11. 



404 SCRIPTURE BIOGRAPHY. 

pletely over all the hosts of hell. "Lift up your heads, O 
ye gates," again they exclaim, " and be ye lifted up, ye 
everlasting doors, and the King of Glory shall come in." 

A degree of uncertainty still remains, and the watchful 
keepers of paradise require yet a farther account of him who 
sends his heralds with such a high demand. " Who is this 
King of Glory?" The celestial harbingers thus emphati- 
cally describe him, u The Lord of Hosts. He is the King 
of Glory." As much as if they had said, " He who cora- 
xnandeth the armif j in Heaven, and who controuleth the 
inhabitants of the earth ; he who possesseth all power, and 
doeth whatsoever he will ; who holdeth the keys of hell 
and of death ;" but who hath stooped to the lowest state of 
misery, that he may become" the head of a redeemed peo- 
ple, and to bring hosts of happy souls to heaven, by virtue 
of his meritorious death and passion, " He is the King of 
Glory."* 

Here the enquiry closes ; all doubt is ended ; no farther 
objection can be offered ; the impenetrable gates are lifted 
up ; the Redeemer enters with his glorious retinue, and 
takes his seat at the right hand of the throne of God. 

Nor were the gates closed again ; since it was for this 
express purpose that they were thrown open, " that the 
righteous nations might," by virtue of their alliance with 
Jesus, "enter in." 

An entrance into the realms of immortality is now be- 
come accessible through the sufferings, resurrection, and 
ascension of our blessed Redeemer. He hath ascended up 
on high for us, and u he ever liveth to make intercession in 
our behalf," as our advocate with the Father, full of grace 
and truth. He invites us by his ministers and in his holy 
gospel, to share the heavenly blessings w T hich he hath pur- 
chased for us. He calls and courts us by his grace to accept 
of him as our " Prophet, Priest, and King." In the first 
capacity, he is ready to instruct us in all things necessary to 
our salvation, to direct us in every exigency and difficulty of 
life, to comfort us in all our troubles, and to refresli us with 
the most delightful promises in our progress towards hea- 
ven. As our Priest, he hath shed not " the blood of bulls 
and of goats," but his own as that of a lamb without blemish, 
that our sins may be blotted out thereby, and that there may 
be no more any handwriting of remembrance against us on 

* ,Psal. xxiy,-S-m 



JESUS CHRIST. 403' 

account of our transgressions, liut that we may partake of 
the benefits of this sacrifice, that we may be cleansed by his 
blood, enter with him into the holy place not made with 
hands, and be made the objects of his intercession, we must 
receive him as our God and King. As the fallen descend- 
ants of a fallen progenitor, we are all sinners from the womb, 
and rebels against the majesty ot Heaven. The prince of 
this world, as the devil is properly named, hath received 
from us too ready a compliance with his desires, and we 
have always been more disposed to hearken to his tempta- 
tions and to be ensnared by his devices, than to regard the 
commandments or denunciations of the Almighty. Now, 
as Jesus came to deliver us from this state ol bondage and 
delusion, he expects that we should submit our hearts and 
afiWuoflS entirely to the influence of his grace, and to be led 
and directed wholly by his spirit. Nor does he exact any 
hard service at our hands, or propose any unreasonable terms 
for our obedience. For can any precepts be plainer to the 
understanding, more easy to be followed, or better adapted 
to promote even our temporal peace and happiness, than 
those which Jesus Christ has left on record in his blessed 
gospel? Then what gracious assurances does our merciful 
Saviour give us of his strengthening and directing grace, to 
assist us in all that holy obedience which he requires from 
us ; and what rich consolations does he pour into the hearts 
of his fainting, desponding and sorrowful disciples to cheer 
them in their pilgrimage ? In the services of his sanctuary, 
in the preaching of his word, and above all, in the holy 
cucharist, he holds communion with his faithful servants 
now, and will do so to the end of the world. Thus, in his 
service, they experience much sweetness, and though a li- 
centious, wicked, and unbelieving generation may despise 
the cross as foolishness, and consider religion as a burden 
too heavy for a liberal mind to bear ; yet they who have felt 
the value of their souls, who have duly considered the hein- 
ous and provoking nature of sin, and who look upon eterni- 
ty as a very awful state, will prize the religion ot Jesus as 
'* the peril of great price," for which the sacrifice of a world 
would be a trifle beneath notice. They will gladly abandon 
all things else to have an interest in the redemption which 
have been wrought out by Jesus Christ. The pleasures and 
honours and riches of the world, are no longer desirable in 
their estimation, for these things are lighter than vanity, are 



406 SCRIPTURE BIOGRAPHY. 

dissipated by a breath of wind, and, in a few days, be lost 
for ever ; but the u unsearchable riches of Christ," the bles- 
sings which he hath purchased, and which he is ready to 
bestow on all who apply for them with penitent, and sub- 
missive hearts, will " endure lor ever." 

That which poisons, all worldly enjoyments, namely, 
their uncertainty, and the fear of being soon separated from 
them by death, cannot effect him who hath placed his affec- 
tion upon the Redeemer. He finds here an unchangeable 
object of love, a source of perpetual joy, and the sure pros- 
pect of immortal happiness. When all temporal glory is end- 
ed, and when nothing but a boundless eternity appears in 
view, the soul that has chosen Jesus Christ for its portion 
and chief good, shall fearlessly enter the mighty expanse, 
and be borne away in triumph and joy to the bosom of its 
Saviour and God. 



CONCLUSION. 



THE tendency of the preceding sheets has been to trace the gradual 
progress of the work of Redemption till it was completed in the humili- 
ation and ascension of Jesus Christ. We have endeavoured to make 
this point clear, as being of the greatest importance, namely, that there 
has been from the beginning but one faith, by which men have been 
enabled to live righteously and to die happily. With this view it has 
been proved, that all the saints of old either represented the Redeemer 
as type*, described him as prophets, or believed in him for salvation. 

We have attended minutely to this " cloud of witnesses," and k*ba 
©dined, Ave trust, by the united testimony which they have borne to 
this great object of our faith. 

We saw the moral world plunged into an awful state of darkness, er- 
ror, and idolatry, through the artifices of the old serpent ; but immedi- 
ately afterwards our hearts were, comforted by the promise given to our 
fallen progenitor, that this sad breach between heaven and earth should 
be repaired, that the power of the usurper should be destroyed, and 
that the " seed of the woman" should bring in everlasting salvation. 

We have seen righteous Abel offering up an acceptable sacrifice in the 
strength of his faith, becoming at last a martyr for it, and exhibiting in 
his life and death a direct type of the Messiah. 

In the lives of the patriarchs this great object of expectation appeared 
to be the principle which animated them in ad their trials, and guided 
them in their early pilgrimage. The same thing was represented in the 
deliverance )f the Israelites from the house of bondage, in the formation 
of their civd and ecclesiastical polity, in their different stages in the wil- 
derness, and in their final establishment in Canaan. It became a more 
distinct object in succeeding times, and was plainly marked and describe 
ed by David and the prophets. 



CONCLUSION. 407 

The harbinger of the day of grace at test ascended above the horrizon, 
und announced the speedy appearance of that glorious orb, before whom 
all the clouds and shadows of the law were to be dispersed, by whom 
evcrv doubt was to be resolved, and " life and immortality be brought, to 
light." 

We then beheld the Sun of Righteousness bursting forth upon along- 
benighted world ; we have traced his glorious progress ; we have wit- 
nessed his mighty acts ; we attended to his salutary discourses ; and we 
have seen him pouring out his blood upon the altar, between heaven and 
earth, as a sacrifice for the sins of the world. With weeping eyes we 
followed the pious mourners who bore him to the sepulchre in the garden, 
but soon were our hearts enraptured on beholding his triumphant resur- 
rection from the tomb ; with the most elevated joy hare we attended to 
his victory over death and the grave ; and with the most' lively gratitude 
and hope we witnessed his glorious ascension into heaven. By the eye 
of faith have we followed the mighty conqueror through the regions of* 
immortality, till we beheld him seated as our Mediator at the right hand 
of the throne of God, from whence he cheers us with these transporting" 
words, " Where I am there shall my servants be." 

After contemplating this transcendently glorious object, what other 
examples can be considered as worthy of our attention r When he ap- 
pears, angels and archangels, apostles and evangelists, martyrs and con- 
lessors, all shrink away to nothing. However deserving of admira- 
tion, as the faithful messengers of the divine will, zealous in their obe- 
dience, stedfast in the faith, and wholly exemplary in their conduct, still* 
while he is in view, from whom all their grace is derived, and in whose 
presence all their glory vanishes, it would be derogating from his exalted 
dignity to distinguish them by any particular notice. Before the ascen- 
sion of the Sun of Righteousness every star was an object calculated to 
cheer and direct us ; but when he rises all our attention is fixed upon 
kirn, and every lesser luminary disappears. 

The sweet and benevolent disposition of St. John the Evangelist, the 
intrepidity and honesty of St. Peter, the zeal and unremitted persever- 
ance of St. Paul, are indeed all worthy of commendation, and are ex- 
amples of great concern : but while the master is present, the servants 
cannot expect that attention which is due to him. While we are " looking 
upon Jesus" his attendants are forgotten. Infinite excellencies appear ia 
his person and character which demand our constant observation ; and, 
as far as human infirmity can follow such an example, our closest imitation. 
There is not a virtue that is admired by mankindthat has been described and 
commended by moralists, or that is enforced in the sacred oracles, but 
shines forth with an unparalleled lustre in the life of our Blessed Lord. 

Now, if it be a good maxim that to succeed well we should copy the 
best patterns, and learn of the best masters, should we not as candidates 
for a crown of righteousness " look unto Jesus" as our example and 
teacher ? 

Let us follow him in a spirit of humility and with an earnest desire t» 
"have his image perfected in us, to have the ruling disposition of our 
minds similar to that which is in him, to be lowly, meek, obedient, gen- 
tle, patient, devout, tender-hearted, and in love forbearing with one 
another. 

Christians have what none else can boast, a perfect example to copy- 
after, and this they have above all things, that they are not left to follow 
^im in their own wisdom and strength, for then they would never be able 
to s ucceed. Bat he who calls us to follow him, has promised us his grace 



4'0S 




^-^z^ 



^^^^ 



conclusion: 



to enable- us to do it. Jle^gives strength to those who need it, he enKghf* 
ens the understandings of the ignorant, and those who are out of the wav ? 

He 



the good shepherd," brings home to his fold rejoicing. 

little Sock inthewilderness, where it is exposed to sa 



he, as 

leaves-noTiris 

many enemies, but he watches over it with tenderness, and " causeth it 

to lre^down in green pastures ; and leadeth it by the still waters."* 

Heft^s instituted a church, in the ordinances of which he communi- 
cates tha^r^lres-iing grace which sapports the souls of his sincere disci- 
ples, and causeth~-%hemjtQ_i' grow like palm trees and cedars, which 
bring forth fruit in their old age."-^ There he meets his people and bles- 
seth them ; and there he causetb/nis face to shine upon them, agreeable 
to his promise^ " where two-efmere are met together, there am I in the 
midst of them."* -^^ 

At last, when their course and work draw to an end, he supports them 
" in the valley and the shadow of death," guiding them through all the 
difficulties of that awful state, and cheering their souls in the view of 
dissolution with the' bright prospect of immortality. When the last 
struggle is over, and their eyes close upon all sublunary objects, the spi- 
rits of the righteous ascend to the realms of glory, and are presented. 
by the merciful High-Priest, their adorable Mediator and Saviour, before 
the throne of God, as those whom he hath ransomed from the hands of 
the enemy, and purchased at the expence of his own most precious 
blood. 

There " shall they serve God day and night in his temple ; and he that 
sltteth on the throne shall dwell among them. They shall hunger n® 
more, neither thirst any more, neither shall the sun light on them, nor 
any heat. For the lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed 
them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of water ; and God shall 
wipe away all tears from their eyes."| 

Such being the present and eternal advantages attending an attachment 
to the religion which God had appointed, as the only means whereby, as 
condemned sinners, we can gain his favour, and be admitted into his 
presence, let it be our earnest care " not to neglect so great salvation !'* 

When we hear so many voices calling to us out of heaven, and saying, 
*« come up hither," our souls ought to be fired with an exalted spirit of 
emulation, to tread the path which leads to the same glorious inheritance. 
<; Let us then lay aside every weight and the sin which doth most easily 
beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, look- 
ing unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith ; who, for the joy 
th st was set before him, endured the cross, despising the shame, andb 
set down at the right hand of the throne of God."fl 



* Psalm xxiil. 2. 

§ Rev. vii. 15, 16, 17 



f Ps. xcii. 12—14 



* Matt, xviii. 20. 
1T Heb. xii. 1, % 




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